UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
CSCS Card Changes 2025-2026
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CSCS has changed more rules in the last eighteen months than in the decade before it. Here is every change that affects cardholders, what it means in practice, and what to do about it, newest first, with the official source behind each one.
The three that catch most people out
- Your new Green Labourer card lasts 2 years, not 5.
- Industry Accreditation is gone. You now need the NVQ/SVQ.
- The official CSCS page states the PQP card cannot be renewed.
The full timeline
Proposed: CITB consults on recognising on-the-job skills
Who it affects: Experienced workers without a full NVQ, career changers and new entrants
CITB is consulting on "functional competence": recognising what someone can do in one defined task, such as installing solar panels within roofing, without a whole new qualification. It would sit alongside NVQs and apprenticeships, not replace them. The consultation runs from 12 October 2026 to 15 January 2027. If it is approved, CITB says work on the requirements for each occupation would start from April 2027.
What to do: Nothing changes yet. This is a proposal, not a rule, and it does not change which card you can hold today. If you lost a card when Industry Accreditation ended, it is worth watching, but do not plan around it until CITB publishes a decision.
Source: CITB, 12 October 2026
Steel Decker becomes Metal Decking Installer, with a specialist test
Who it affects: Steel Deckers and anyone applying for that occupation
CSCS replaced the Steel Decker occupation with Metal Decking Installer from 1 October 2026. New applicants apply under the new title, and existing Steel Decker cardholders move to it when they renew. Metal Decking Installers must now pass the CITB Specialist Working at Height HS&E test for a new or renewed card. Stud Welder stays a separate skilled occupation.
What to do: You do not need to replace a current Steel Decker card. Before you renew, sit the Specialist Working at Height test rather than the Operatives test, so the pass is ready when you apply.
Work at height specialist test →
Source: CSCS, 4 September 2026
Institute of Roofing PQP cards withdrawn
Who it affects: Professionally Qualified Person cardholders who qualified through Institute of Roofing membership
After the Institute of Roofing began dissolving, CSCS stopped taking new PQP applications based on IoR membership from 1 January 2026. Existing IoR-based PQP cards were kept only until 30 September 2026, after which CSCS said they would be withdrawn. Cards issued in December 2025 had a fixed expiry of that same date.
What to do: If this was your card, you need a new route. CSCS points to CIOB membership at an accepted level, which supports a new PQP card, or the AQP card if you hold a recognised construction-related academic qualification. Both need a pass in the CITB Managers and Professionals test from the last two years.
Read the full White CSCS card rules →
Source: CSCS, 1 December 2025
CSWIP welders now apply for their card directly with CSCS
Who it affects: Welders who hold, or used to hold, a CSCS card through CSWIP
Welders who held a card via CSWIP now apply through CSCS like any other applicant. In the My CSCS app you choose the Blue Skilled Worker card, the Approved Welder occupation and the ISO standard you were assessed against, then upload your CITB HS&E test ID and a copy of your welding certification.
What to do: If your CSWIP card is still valid, do nothing until it nears expiry. It still checks as normal on CSCS Smart Check. When you apply, your HS&E test pass needs to be from the last two years.
Source: CSCS, 26 August 2026
Industry Placement card: 3-week placements, 2-year card, test now optional
Who it affects: Students on construction qualifications with a work placement
The minimum work placement for the Industry Placement card fell from 30 days to three weeks, in line with Department for Education guidance, and the card now lasts two years instead of three. It covers T Levels, Foundation Apprenticeships and trade-related Level 2 and 3 certificates and diplomas with a placement of three weeks or more.
What to do: You no longer have to sit the CITB HS&E test for this card. CSCS also accepts a completion certificate for the one-day Construction Health and Safety Awareness course, or a Certificate of Unit Credit for the Construction Health and Safety unit. Whichever you use, it must be from the last two years, and if it is the test, it is the Operatives test. Electrotechnical, HVAC and plumbing learners apply to their own CSCS Alliance scheme instead.
Source: CSCS, 16 July 2026
Green Labourer card cut from 5 years to 2 on first application
Who it affects: Anyone applying for their first Labourer card
The initial Labourer card now lasts two years instead of five. Renewal is for a further five years, but only with a signed declaration confirming you are employed in a labouring role. Your HS&E test pass counts as valid for three years when renewing that initial card.
What to do: Diarise your expiry date and keep evidence you work as a labourer. If the declaration suggests you are not labouring, the application will be queried or declined.
Trainee card split for non-competence qualification holders
Who it affects: Holders of an approved Level 2+ occupation-related non-competence qualification
This group now receives a two-year Trainee card, which can be renewed once for a three-year card on proof of registration onto an NVQ/SVQ or an agreed alternative.
What to do: Register onto your NVQ/SVQ early. You need that proof to get the three-year renewal.
Industry Accreditation (grandfather rights) ended
Who it affects: Blue, Gold and Black cardholders who qualified via IA
Industry Accreditation cards issued from 1 January 2020 expired on 31 December 2024 and cannot be renewed through IA. The NVQ/SVQ route is now the only way to hold these cards.
What to do: If you held an IA card, you need the relevant construction NVQ/SVQ for your occupation before you can renew.
Building Safety Act pressure and 'no card, no site'
Who it affects: All construction workers
The tightening of the Labourer card sits inside a broader push, driven by the Building Safety Act, to ensure cardholders genuinely hold the competence their card claims. Most principal contractors continue to operate a strict 'no card, no site' policy.
What to do: Hold the card that matches your actual occupation. A skilled worker on a Labourer card can be refused site access.
Digital-first: My CSCS and virtual cards
Who it affects: All applicants
CSCS has moved to a digital-first model. The My CSCS app is the 'Digital Skills Passport'. Once your application is approved, your virtual card is available immediately, before the physical card arrives.
What to do: Apply through the My CSCS app for the fastest route; the card fee is £36.
Has the test itself changed?
The CITB HS&E test format is unchanged: 50 questions, 45 minutes, 45/50 (90%) to pass, £23.50 per attempt. The Managers & Professionals test content was broadened in June 2023 and is no longer role-specific, so MAP candidates should revise widely. See what the CITB HS&E test is for the full picture.
All changes verified against official CSCS and CITB news pages, October 2026. We update this page as CSCS publishes new rules, but always confirm with CSCS before acting.