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Key Facts: CITB HS&E Operatives Test Exam

Exam Questions

CITB

45 min

Time Limit

CITB

45/50 (90%)

Pass Mark

CITB

£22.50

Test Fee

CITB

Behavioural Case-Study Questions

CITB

100

Free Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

The CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) Test for Operatives is the entry-level construction safety test required for most CSCS cards in Great Britain. It is a touchscreen test of 50 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, including 12 behavioural case-study questions based on the CITB 'Setting Out' film, and you must score 45 out of 50 (90%) to pass. The test costs £22.50 per attempt and is taken at a Pearson VUE test centre. Questions are drawn from five categories: general responsibilities and the working environment, occupational health, safety, high-risk activities, and environment/specialist topics, covering law (HASAWA, CDM 2015), risk assessment, PPE, working at height, manual handling, HAVS, COSHH and dust, asbestos, electricity, fire, excavations and confined spaces. This free prep includes 100 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.

Sample CITB HS&E Operatives Test Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CITB HS&E Operatives Test exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what is the main duty placed on every employee while at work?

A.To carry out risk assessments for the whole site

B.To take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others affected by their actions, and to co-operate with their employer

C.To provide all personal protective equipment for the workforce

D.To pay for their own first-aid treatment

Explanation: Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) places a duty on employees to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others who may be affected by what they do or fail to do, and to co-operate with their employer on health and safety matters. Writing risk assessments and providing PPE are the employer's duties.

2What does a prohibition sign on a construction site look like?

A.A blue circle with a white symbol

B.A yellow triangle with a black border and symbol

C.A red circular band with a diagonal line through a black symbol on a white background

D.A green rectangle with a white symbol

Explanation: Prohibition signs tell you that something MUST NOT be done. They are round with a red border and a red diagonal line crossing out a black symbol on a white background, for example 'no smoking' or 'no pedestrians'. Blue circles are mandatory, yellow triangles are warning, and green rectangles are safe-condition signs.

3Which body is responsible for enforcing health and safety law on most construction sites in Great Britain?

A.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

B.The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)

C.The local fire and rescue service

D.The Environment Agency

Explanation: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the national regulator that enforces health and safety law on construction sites, including issuing improvement and prohibition notices and prosecuting breaches. CITB provides training and the HS&E test but does not enforce the law.

4You discover a dangerous situation on site that you cannot deal with yourself. What is the FIRST thing you should do?

A.Carry on working and report it at the end of the shift

B.Take action to warn others and report it to your supervisor straight away

C.Try to fix it yourself even though you are not trained

D.Wait to see if anyone else notices it

Explanation: If you find a danger you cannot deal with, you must make others aware and report it to your supervisor immediately so it can be controlled before someone is harmed. Continuing to work, ignoring it, or attempting an unauthorised repair all leave people at risk.

5Under RIDDOR, which of the following must always be reported to the enforcing authority?

A.Any minor cut treated with a plaster

B.A fall that results in a worker fracturing their arm

C.Feeling tired at the end of a long shift

D.A tool that has gone missing from the store

Explanation: RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) requires specified injuries, including bone fractures other than to fingers, thumbs and toes, to be reported. Minor first-aid injuries, normal tiredness and missing tools are not reportable events.

6Why should every accident on site, even a minor one, be recorded in the accident book?

A.So the injured person can be disciplined

B.So the cause can be investigated and similar accidents prevented, and to protect any future claim

C.Only because it is a tradition on construction sites

D.To reduce the amount of PPE the employer has to buy

Explanation: Recording accidents allows the employer to investigate the cause and put measures in place to stop it happening again, and it provides an accurate record should the injured person later need to make a claim. Accident reporting is about prevention, not blame or discipline.

7What is the main purpose of a site induction?

A.To collect your bank details for payment

B.To tell you about the specific hazards, rules and emergency arrangements for that particular site

C.To test whether you can lift heavy loads

D.To sell you personal protective equipment

Explanation: A site induction makes sure every person knows the specific hazards, site rules, welfare facilities and emergency arrangements before they start work on that site. It is a key part of the employer's duty to provide information and instruction.

8What is the purpose of a risk assessment?

A.To list everyone who works on the site

B.To identify hazards, decide who might be harmed and put control measures in place to reduce the risk

C.To calculate how much the project will cost

D.To record the working hours of operatives

Explanation: A risk assessment identifies the hazards present, judges who might be harmed and how, evaluates the risk and decides on the control measures needed to remove or reduce it. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments.

9A method statement on site is best described as:

A.A list of telephone numbers for the site office

B.A safe system of work that explains step by step how a task should be carried out safely

C.A drawing showing the finished building

D.A record of who has passed their HS&E test

Explanation: A method statement sets out a safe system of work, describing in sequence how a particular task should be done and the precautions to be taken. It is usually produced from the risk assessment and is sometimes called a 'safe system of work' or RAMS when combined with the risk assessment.

10Who has duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015)?

A.Only the main contractor

B.Everyone involved in a construction project, including clients, designers, principal contractors and workers

C.Only the architect

D.Only the HSE inspector

Explanation: CDM 2015 places duties on all dutyholders in a project: clients, principal designers, designers, principal contractors, contractors and workers. Each has responsibilities to plan, manage and co-ordinate work so it is carried out safely, and workers must co-operate and report anything dangerous.

About the CITB HS&E Operatives Test Exam

The CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) Test for Operatives is the touchscreen test most construction workers in Great Britain must pass to obtain a CSCS card. It has 50 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, including 12 behavioural case-study questions based on the 'Setting Out' film, and you need 45 out of 50 (90%) to pass.

Assessment

50 multiple-choice questions on a touchscreen, made up of knowledge questions across five HS&E categories plus 12 behavioural case-study questions, in 45 minutes; 45 out of 50 (90%) needed to pass. This practice bank is 100 selected-response items.

Time Limit

45 minutes

Passing Score

45 out of 50 (90%)

Exam Fee

£22.50 per attempt (Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), delivered at Pearson VUE test centres for the CSCS scheme)

CITB HS&E Operatives Test Exam Content Outline

20%

General responsibilities & the working environment

HASAWA and CDM 2015 duties, the HSE, risk assessments and method statements, induction, RIDDOR reporting, safety signs and housekeeping

20%

Occupational health

Dust and silica, COSHH, asbestos, noise, HAVS, manual handling, RPE, health surveillance and personal hygiene

25%

Safety

PPE, working at height, ladders, towers and MEWPs, electrical safety and 110V tools, fire prevention and extinguishers, and site transport

20%

High-risk activities

Excavations and shoring, buried services, confined spaces and atmosphere testing, overhead power lines, demolition and carbon monoxide

15%

Specialist, environment & behavioural case studies

Waste, spills and pollution prevention, dust and noise nuisance, and behavioural case studies based on the 'Setting Out' film

How to Pass the CITB HS&E Operatives Test Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 45 out of 50 (90%)
Assessment: 50 multiple-choice questions on a touchscreen, made up of knowledge questions across five HS&E categories plus 12 behavioural case-study questions, in 45 minutes; 45 out of 50 (90%) needed to pass. This practice bank is 100 selected-response items.
Time limit: 45 minutes
Exam fee: £22.50 per attempt

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CITB HS&E Operatives Test Study Tips from Top Performers

1Aim higher than the pass mark: with 45 out of 50 (90%) required, you can only afford five wrong answers, so revise every category

2Watch the CITB 'Setting Out' film before your test, as the 12 behavioural case-study questions are based on its 10 principles

3Learn the four safety-sign types: red prohibition, blue mandatory, yellow warning and green safe-condition

4Know the key health hazards by cause: HAVS from vibration, silicosis from dust, hearing loss from noise and dermatitis from cement

5Memorise the hierarchy of control and remember PPE is always the last line of defence

6Complete all 100 practice questions and review every miss with the AI tutor before booking your test

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the CITB HS&E Operatives test and how long is it?

The Operatives test has 50 multiple-choice questions to answer in 45 minutes on a touchscreen, including 12 behavioural case-study questions. You need to score 45 out of 50 (90%) to pass.

What is the pass mark for the CITB HS&E Operatives test?

You must answer at least 45 of the 50 questions correctly, which is 90%. This high pass mark is why thorough revision of the official GT100 question-and-answer material is important.

How much does the CITB HS&E test cost in 2026?

The test costs £22.50 per attempt. You book and pay through CITB and sit the test at a Pearson VUE test centre. If you do not pass, you can rebook by paying the fee again.

What are the behavioural case-study questions about?

The test includes 12 behavioural case-study questions presented as scenarios. They are based on the 10 principles in the CITB 'Setting Out' film, which you should watch before sitting the test, and check how you would respond to real site situations.

What topics does the CITB HS&E Operatives test cover?

It covers five categories: general responsibilities and the working environment, occupational health, safety, high-risk activities, and environment/specialist topics. This includes law, risk assessment, PPE, working at height, COSHH and dust, asbestos, HAVS, noise, manual handling, electricity, fire, excavations and confined spaces.

Do I need the CITB HS&E test to get a CSCS card?

Yes. A valid HS&E test pass is required to apply for most CSCS cards, including the Labourer, apprentice and many skilled-worker cards. Operatives take this Operatives test; managers and professionals take the MAP version instead.