A CSCS card shows a site that you have the training and qualifications for your job in construction. Most workers need two things to get one: the CITB health, safety and environment (HS&E) test, which costs £23.50, and a qualification that matches the card, from a one-day Level 1 health and safety award for a green Labourer card to an NVQ for a blue Skilled Worker card. The card itself costs £36 (the Apprentice card is free), and you apply through the My CSCS app. There are 13 card types, and the right one depends on your job and your qualifications.
The card isn’t a legal requirement, but “most principal contractors and major house builders in the UK require workers on their sites to hold a valid CSCS card” (CSCS). Below: every card, what it takes, what it costs, how long it lasts, and what the jobs behind each card pay.
The key figures
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CSCS card fee | £36 (Apprentice card free) | CSCS FAQs |
| CITB HS&E test fee | £23.50 | CITB, About the HS&E test |
| Test format | 50 questions in 45 minutes; pass mark 45 (90%) | CITB, Operatives test |
| How recent the test pass must be | Within the last 2 years | CSCS, Applying for cards |
| Card delivery | Within 5 working days of approval; digital card in the app | CSCS card pages |
| Labourer minimum pay (CIJC general operative) | £13.18 an hour from 20 July 2026 | CIJC pay promulgation, June 2026 |
| Skilled minimum pay (CIJC craft rate) | £16.40 an hour from 20 July 2026 | Same |
CSCS’s own FAQ still gives the test price as £22.50. CITB, which runs the test, charges £23.50, so budget for that.
Which CSCS card do you need?
CSCS issues 13 cards. They fall into six colours, checked against the card images on the CSCS website:
| Card | Colour | Who it’s for | What you need | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labourer | Green | Unskilled site work only | Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment (or an approved alternative) + Operatives HS&E test | 2 years, then renewable for 5 |
| Apprentice | Red | People on a recognised apprenticeship | Proof of apprenticeship registration + HS&E test or a one-day health and safety course | 4 years 6 months, not renewable; free |
| Trainee | Red | Registered for an NVQ/SVQ, HNC, HND or degree, or holding a Level 2 non-competence qualification | Proof of registration + Operatives HS&E test | 5 years (not renewable), or 2 years then 3 |
| Experienced Worker | Red | At least a year’s experience in the last three, registered for an NVQ/SVQ level 2 or higher | Proof of registration + HS&E test at your trade’s level | 1 year, not renewable |
| Experienced Technical, Supervisor or Manager | Red | Experienced supervisors, managers and technical staff registered for a level 3+ NVQ/SVQ | Proof of registration + HS&E test | 3 years, not renewable |
| Industry Placement | Red | T Levels and courses with a work placement of at least three weeks | Proof of registration + Operatives HS&E test or alternative | 2 years, not renewable |
| Provisional | Red | Probation, placements under three weeks, or trying construction out | HS&E test | 6 months, once only |
| Skilled Worker | Blue | Qualified tradespeople | Construction NVQ/SVQ level 2 or a completed apprenticeship + HS&E test | 5 years |
| Gold Skilled Worker (Advanced Craft) | Gold | Advanced craft workers | NVQ/SVQ level 3 or an approved apprenticeship + HS&E test | 5 years |
| Supervisor | Gold | Supervisors and technical occupations | Supervisory or technical NVQ/SVQ level 3 or 4 + Specialist Supervisory HS&E test | 5 years |
| Manager | Black | Managers and technical occupations | Construction management or technical NVQ/SVQ level 4 to 7 + Managers and Professionals HS&E test | 5 years |
| Academically Qualified Person | White | Holders of certain construction degrees, HNDs, HNCs, CIOB certificates and NEBOSH diplomas | The qualification + Managers and Professionals test or the CIC Health and Safety Test | 5 years |
| Professionally Qualified Person | White | Members of approved professional bodies, such as CIOB, RICS or ARB | Proof of membership + Managers and Professionals test or the CIC test | 5 years, then apply again |
All from each card’s page on cscs.uk.com, read 28 October 2026. Three rules catch people out:
- The Labourer card is for unskilled work only. CSCS says it “confirms the holder is not on a recognised training pathway”, and “skilled workers holding a Labourer card will be refused site access”. If you are training for a trade, the red Trainee or Apprentice card is the right one, and your course can replace the Level 1 Award.
- Red temporary cards can’t be renewed. You are expected to finish your qualification before the card expires and move to a blue or gold card.
- Not every trade uses CSCS. “Those who work in more specialist sectors of construction and the Built Environment, such as plumbing or electrotechnical, should apply via the appropriate CSCS Alliance scheme” (CSCS). Plumbers and electricians, for example, apply to the scheme for their sector, and CSCS’s Card Finder tells you which one covers your job.
The CITB test (what people call the “CSCS test”)
There is no CSCS test: CSCS says the phrase “actually refers to the CITB Health, safety and environment test”, which CITB runs and you book with CITB, not CSCS. There are three versions:
- Operatives, for general site workers and most red and green cards.
- Specialists, which adds questions for a specialist area: supervisory, demolition and other trades.
- Managers and Professionals (MAP), for black and white cards.
Each test has 50 questions in 45 minutes, and you need 45 right (90%) to pass (CITB). Book online through Pearson or by phone on 0344 994 4488, and bring photo ID with your signature. Rescheduling or cancelling online is free up to 72 hours before the test. By phone, rescheduling costs £5, and cancelling costs a £10 fee. Within 72 hours there’s no refund. CITB sells the official revision book (GT100) and an app.
What it costs in total
| Route | You pay | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Green Labourer card | Level 1 Award (price set by the provider) + £23.50 test + £36 card | £59.50 plus the course |
| Red Trainee or Experienced Worker card | Your NVQ or course registration + £23.50 + £36 | £59.50 plus the qualification |
| Blue Skilled Worker card, already qualified | £23.50 + £36 | £59.50 |
| Apprentice card | £23.50 test, or a one-day health and safety course | £23.50 or the course; card free |
CSCS doesn’t run courses or approve training providers, and it recommends applying directly with CSCS “to ensure you receive the correct card and pay the right fees”. Third-party sites that sell a “CSCS card package” add their own charges on top of these fees.
What the jobs behind each card pay
Two official sets of figures give a fair picture. The CIJC Working Rule Agreement sets the basic minimum rates for building and civil engineering workers on firms that follow it. From 20 July 2026 these are £13.18 an hour for a general operative and £16.40 for the craft rate (CIJC pay promulgation, June 2026). ONS publishes what full-time employees in each occupation actually earn, including overtime and bonuses (ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a, released 22 October 2026):
| Card | Typical jobs | CIJC minimum from 20 July 2026 | ONS median, full-time, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Labourer | General labourer | £13.18 an hour (£514.02 for 39 hours) | £29,223 (elementary construction occupations) |
| Red Apprentice | Apprentice, year 1 to 3 | £8.29 to £16.40 an hour, by year and NVQ | |
| Blue Skilled Worker | Carpenter, bricklayer, plasterer, painter | £16.40 an hour craft rate (£639.60 for 39 hours) | £35,579 carpenters, £33,011 bricklayers, £34,877 plasterers, £32,421 painters |
| Gold Supervisor | Site supervisor, foreman | £45,510 (construction trades supervisors) | |
| Black Manager | Site or project manager | £59,994 (production managers in construction), £49,319 (construction project managers) | |
| White AQP or PQP | Quantity surveyor, civil engineer, architect | £52,492 quantity surveyors, £52,456 civil engineers, £47,665 architects |
Over a year of 39-hour weeks, the CIJC minimums come to about £26,700 for a general operative and £33,300 at the craft rate (our calculation). The ONS medians are higher because they include overtime and the many workers paid above the agreed minimum. The jump from a green to a blue card is worth about £3.22 an hour on the agreed rates, which is why getting a trade qualification pays. Apprentices aged 19 and over in their second or final year must get at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, whichever applies to their age. The National Living Wage has been £12.71 an hour since 1 April 2026.
For trades with their own pages, see what plumbers, electricians and welders earn in the UK, and turn an hourly rate into a yearly figure with our hourly to salary calculator.
SMSTS and SSSTS: the site manager and supervisor courses
These are CITB Site Safety Plus courses, not CSCS cards, but most contractors ask for them alongside a gold or black card:
| Course | For | Length | Certificate valid |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSSTS (Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme) | New and current site supervisors | 2 days | 5 years; refresher (SSSTS-R) is 1 day |
| SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) | Site managers, and supervisors moving up | 5 days | 5 years; renew with the SMSTS-R refresher |
There are no formal entry requirements for either course. CITB recommends that people without health and safety management experience take SSSTS before SMSTS. SMSTS covers health and safety law, the CDM Regulations 2015, risk assessment, site setup, occupational health and environmental issues (CITB, SMSTS; CITB, SSSTS). Both run in a classroom or remotely through approved providers, who set their own prices.
How to apply and renew
- Use CSCS’s Card Finder to check the card and the test level for your job.
- Pass the right CITB HS&E test (book with CITB).
- Get your qualification certificate, or proof of registration for a red card.
- Apply in the My CSCS app (or CSCS Online for employers) and pay £36 by card.
- Once approved, the digital card is in the app and the physical card arrives within five working days.
To renew, you generally need a test pass from the last two years. One exception: a Labourer card holder renewing their first two-year card can use the original test for up to three years, along with a declaration that they still work as a labourer. Red temporary cards can’t be renewed: you move up to a skilled card instead.
Limits of this guide
CSCS, CITB and the CIJC change fees and rules from time to time; figures here were checked on 28 October 2026. The CIJC rates are minimums for employers that follow that agreement, and other agreements cover other trades. ONS medians are for full-time employees and leave out the self-employed, a large share of construction workers.
Sources
- CSCS, Types of CSCS cards and each card’s page, Applying for cards, FAQs and Occupations carded by other schemes, read 28 October 2026.
- CITB, About the HS&E test, Booking your HS&E test, Operatives test, Specialist test, Managers and Professionals test, and the Site Safety Plus courses, read 28 October 2026.
- Construction Industry Joint Council, Working Rule Agreement pay promulgation, June 2026, effective 20 July 2026 (WR.1 basic rates, WR 1.4.2 apprentice rates), as circulated by member body NFRC.
- Office for National Statistics, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (SOC 2020, full-time employees, median annual gross pay), released 22 October 2026.