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100+ Free SSSTS Practice Questions

Pass your CITB Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SSSTS Exam

100

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

30 marks

Exam (22 MCQ + 3 written)

CITB

80%

Passing Score (24/30)

CITB

4

Safety-Critical Questions

CITB

5 years

Certificate Validity

CITB

2 days

Course Length

CITB

The CITB Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) is the Build UK-recognised health and safety qualification for first-line supervisors and gangers on UK construction sites. It is delivered as a two-day course ending in a CITB-set exam worth 30 marks (22 multiple-choice plus 3 short-written questions), taken in 30 minutes with the first 20 minutes closed book and the final 10 minutes open book using the GE706 workbook. You need 80% (24/30) to pass, and all four safety-critical questions must be answered correctly regardless of overall score. The course covers HASAWA 1974 and supervisor duties, risk assessments and method statements (RAMS), site induction and toolbox talks, working at height, excavations and confined spaces, PPE, manual handling and occupational health, monitoring and behavioural safety, and CDM 2015 awareness. The certificate is valid for five years, renewable by a one-day refresher. This free prep includes 100 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.

Sample SSSTS Practice Questions

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

1Which Act places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all their employees at work?
A.The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
B.The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
C.The Work at Height Regulations 2005
D.The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
Explanation: The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) is the primary piece of UK health and safety legislation. Section 2 places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees. It is enabling legislation under which most other regulations are made.
2Under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what duty is placed on employees (including operatives a supervisor manages)?
A.To provide their own personal protective equipment
B.To take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others affected by their acts or omissions, and to co-operate with their employer
C.To carry out their own statutory excavation inspections
D.To write the site's risk assessments and method statements
Explanation: Section 7 of HASAWA requires every employee to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and 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. Supervisors rely on this duty when instructing operatives to follow safe systems of work.
3Section 8 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that no person shall do what?
A.Work more than 48 hours in a week
B.Intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare
C.Enter a site without a CSCS card
D.Operate plant without a high-risk work licence
Explanation: Section 8 of HASAWA prohibits any person from intentionally or recklessly interfering with or misusing anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare. This covers actions such as removing a machine guard, tampering with edge protection or misusing fire extinguishers — all things a supervisor must challenge.
4In health and safety law, what does the term 'so far as is reasonably practicable' require a supervisor to do?
A.Eliminate every conceivable risk regardless of cost
B.Balance the level of risk against the time, trouble, cost and effort needed to control it
C.Only act once an accident has already occurred
D.Apply controls only if the workforce requests them
Explanation: 'So far as is reasonably practicable' (SFAIRP) means weighing the degree of risk against the time, trouble, cost and physical difficulty of the measures needed to avoid it. If the risk is insignificant compared with the sacrifice, controls are not required — but the burden is on the duty holder to show this balance.
5Which two enforcement notices can an HSE inspector issue when they find a serious health and safety failing on a construction site?
A.Caution notice and penalty notice
B.Improvement notice and prohibition notice
C.Closure notice and demolition notice
D.Warning notice and final notice
Explanation: Under HASAWA, HSE inspectors can serve an improvement notice (requiring a contravention to be remedied within a stated time) and a prohibition notice (stopping a dangerous activity immediately or after a set time where there is a risk of serious personal injury). A prohibition notice can stop work straight away.
6A site supervisor's role in health and safety is best described as which of the following?
A.To take over the legal duties of the employer so the company carries no liability
B.To monitor and supervise the workforce, implement safe systems of work, and feed information up and down the line
C.To carry out all risk assessments alone without any management input
D.To act only as a first-aider and emergency contact
Explanation: The SSSTS supervisor sits between management and the workforce. They implement and monitor safe systems of work, brief and supervise operatives, check compliance, and pass information both up to managers and down to the team. They do not relieve the employer of legal duties.
7Which regulations specifically require employers to assess risks, appoint competent persons and provide health and safety information and training to employees?
A.The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
B.The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations
C.The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
D.The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
Explanation: The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (the 'Management Regs') require employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, appoint competent persons, provide information, instruction and training, and arrange for emergencies. They underpin the supervisor's day-to-day duties.
8Which of the following is an example of a 'moral' reason for managing health and safety on site, as opposed to a legal or financial one?
A.Avoiding an HSE prosecution and fine
B.Preventing pain, suffering and injury to workers and their families
C.Reducing insurance premiums and sick-pay costs
D.Avoiding a prohibition notice that stops the job
Explanation: Health and safety is justified on legal, moral and financial grounds. The moral case is about preventing the human cost — pain, suffering, injury, ill health and death — to workers and those affected. Fines and prosecutions are legal reasons; insurance and lost-time costs are financial reasons.
9If an operative refuses to follow a safe system of work after being instructed by their supervisor, what is the most appropriate first action?
A.Ignore it because the operative is responsible for their own safety
B.Stop the unsafe activity, re-explain the requirement and the reason, and escalate to management if non-compliance continues
C.Immediately dismiss the operative from site without warning
D.Carry on and note it in the accident book
Explanation: The supervisor must intervene to stop the unsafe act, explain the requirement and why it matters, and if the behaviour continues, escalate the matter to management following site disciplinary procedures. Allowing the breach to continue would expose the worker and others to risk and breach the supervisor's monitoring duty.
10What does the term 'competent person' mean in construction health and safety?
A.Anyone who holds a valid CSCS card
B.Someone with sufficient training, knowledge, experience and ability to carry out the task safely
C.The most senior person on site by job title
D.Any operative over the age of 21
Explanation: A competent person is someone with the right combination of training, skills, knowledge, experience and ability to perform a specific task safely and recognise their own limitations. Competence is task-specific — being competent to inspect a scaffold does not make a person competent to inspect an excavation.

About the SSSTS Exam

The CITB Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) is the recognised health and safety qualification for first-line supervisors on UK construction sites. It is assessed by a 30-mark end-of-course exam (22 multiple-choice plus 3 short-written questions) requiring 80% to pass, with four safety-critical questions that must all be answered correctly. The certificate is valid for five years.

Assessment

30-mark CITB end-of-course exam taken on day two: 22 multiple-choice questions plus 3 short-written questions, with 4 safety-critical questions that must all be answered correctly; this practice bank is 100 selected-response items covering the same knowledge

Time Limit

30 minutes (first 20 minutes closed book; final 10 minutes open book with the GE706 workbook)

Passing Score

80% (24/30); all 4 safety-critical questions must be correct

Exam Fee

Included in the two-day course fee (typically GBP 175-400 +VAT depending on provider) (CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) via approved Site Safety Plus providers)

SSSTS Exam Content Outline

22%

Health & Safety Law & Supervisor Responsibilities

HASAWA 1974 duties (Sections 2, 7, 8), the Management Regulations, reasonably practicable, competence, enforcement notices, welfare, safety signs, vulnerable workers and the supervisor's role

16%

Risk Assessment & Method Statements (RAMS)

Five steps of risk assessment, hazard versus risk, safe systems of work, method-statement briefings, dynamic and COSHH assessments, permits to work and review

12%

Site Induction, Toolbox Talks & Communication

Induction content, effective toolbox talks, two-way communication, language barriers, confirming understanding and recording attendance

12%

Working at Height

Work at Height Regulations 2005, avoid-prevent-mitigate, collective versus personal protection, scaffolds, towers, MEWPs, ladders, fragile surfaces and edge protection

12%

Excavations & Confined Spaces

Trench support and inspection, buried services and safe digging, surcharge, the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, atmospheric testing and emergency rescue

8%

PPE

PPE as the last resort, free provision by the employer, selection for the hazard, RPE and face-fit testing and hearing protection

10%

Manual Handling & Occupational Health

TILE assessment, avoiding hazardous handling, safe lifting, HAVS, noise, silica dust, asbestos awareness and health surveillance

12%

Monitoring, Control & Behavioural Safety

Hierarchy of control, active versus reactive monitoring, behavioural safety, near-miss and accident reporting, RIDDOR, PUWER, LOLER, fire and traffic management

6%

CDM 2015 Awareness

Duty holders, the construction phase plan, F10 notification, co-operation and co-ordination and the health and safety file

How to Pass the SSSTS Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 80% (24/30); all 4 safety-critical questions must be correct
  • Assessment: 30-mark CITB end-of-course exam taken on day two: 22 multiple-choice questions plus 3 short-written questions, with 4 safety-critical questions that must all be answered correctly; this practice bank is 100 selected-response items covering the same knowledge
  • Time limit: 30 minutes (first 20 minutes closed book; final 10 minutes open book with the GE706 workbook)
  • Exam fee: Included in the two-day course fee (typically GBP 175-400 +VAT depending on provider)

Keys to Passing

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

SSSTS Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorise the HASAWA structure: Section 2 (employer duties), Section 7 (employee duties to take care and co-operate) and Section 8 (no interference or misuse)
2Know the work-at-height and hierarchy-of-control sequences cold: avoid-prevent-mitigate, and eliminate-substitute-engineering-administrative-PPE, with PPE always the last resort
3Treat the high-risk topics (working at height, excavations, confined spaces, lifting and fire) as likely safety-critical questions you must get right
4Use the final 10 minutes of open book wisely: know how to find answers in the GE706 workbook quickly rather than relying on it for everything
5Practise the short-written answers by explaining a supervisor's actions in a scenario, not just recalling facts
6Complete all 100 practice questions and review every miss with the AI tutor before your day-two exam

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the SSSTS exam and how long is it?

The CITB SSSTS exam is worth 30 marks made up of 22 multiple-choice questions and 3 short-written questions, taken in 30 minutes at the end of the two-day course. The first 20 minutes are closed book and the final 10 minutes are open book using the GE706 workbook.

What score do I need to pass the SSSTS exam?

You need 80%, which is 24 out of 30 marks. In addition, all four safety-critical questions must be answered correctly to pass, regardless of your overall score, because they relate to situations that could cause serious injury or death.

What are safety-critical questions on the SSSTS?

Safety-critical questions cover high-risk scenarios such as working at height, excavations, lifting operations, fire and emergencies, where a wrong decision on site could directly result in serious injury or death. You must get all four correct to pass even if you score above 80% overall.

What topics does the SSSTS course and exam cover?

It covers health and safety law and supervisor duties under HASAWA, risk assessments and method statements (RAMS), site induction and toolbox talks, working at height, excavations and confined spaces, PPE, manual handling and occupational health, monitoring and behavioural safety, and CDM 2015 awareness.

How long is an SSSTS certificate valid?

A CITB SSSTS certificate is valid for five years. To keep it current you must complete the one-day SSSTS Refresher course before it expires; otherwise you have to take the full two-day course again.

Is this free SSSTS practice as good as paid prep?

Our 100 practice questions cover the same knowledge as the CITB SSSTS course, with a teaching explanation for every answer plus free daily AI tutor interactions. All content is free forever and updated for 2026, so you can sit the end-of-course exam with confidence.