CSCS Blue Card Mock Test
Our CSCS blue card mock test is a full timed run of the paper most Blue Skilled Worker applicants sit: the CITB HS&E test for Operatives.
There is no separate blue card exam, so the job is passing the right level of the HS&E test. The mock is free, needs no sign-up and explains every answer.
50 questions in 45 minutes, drawn at random from 2,575 across 21 revision topics. You need 45 correct to pass.
Which test you sit for a blue card
CSCS asks for the CITB HS&E test at the relevant level for your occupation. For most trades that is Operatives, but some occupations need a Specialist test.
| Trade | Test level |
|---|---|
| Bricklayers | Operatives |
| Carpenters | Operatives |
| Groundworkers | Operatives |
| Roofers | Specialist: work at height |
| Plasterers | Operatives |
| Painters and decorators | Operatives |
Not on the list? Check the official CSCS Card Finder. If your card comes from a partner scheme rather than CSCS, see CSCS Alliance card schemes.
Do you need to sit the test again?
Only if your last pass is too old or at the wrong level. CSCS needs a pass from the last two years, at the level for your occupation, when you apply.
Moving up from a Green Labourer card with a recent Operatives pass? If your trade also sits Operatives, that pass can count. If it is older than two years, book again.
The qualification you need
A construction NVQ or SVQ at Level 2 (SCQF Level 5 in Scotland), or a completed apprenticeship such as an employer sponsored one or a City & Guilds Craft Certificate. The card lasts five years.
Industry Accreditation cards issued from 1 January 2020 expired on 31 December 2024, so that route is closed. The full rules are on the Blue CSCS Card (Skilled Worker) page.
If your trade sits a Specialist test
Roofers sit Specialist work at height, so practise the Work at height specialist test questions. Other trades can find their topic among the CSCS specialist tests, each with a bank of 50 practice questions.
Operatives is your test? Start here
Sit a full paper, note the topics that cost you marks, and drill them before the next run.
CSCS blue card mock test: common questions
- Is the blue card test different from the green card test?
- For most trades, no. Both cards usually need the CITB HS&E test for Operatives. What changes is the qualification: a Blue Skilled Worker card needs a construction NVQ or SVQ at Level 2 or a recognised apprenticeship.
- Is there a pass mark just for the blue card?
- No. The pass mark belongs to the test, not the card: 45 out of 50, which is 90%, on every level of the CITB HS&E test.
Blue card qualification, validity and test level checked against cscs.uk.com; test format and pass mark checked against citb.co.uk, October 2026.