CSCS Specialist Mock Test
The CITB HS&E Specialist test combines the Operatives core knowledge with questions from the specialist topic you book. Same shape as every HS&E test: 50 questions, 45 minutes, 45 out of 50 to pass. The mock below covers the core, which is the larger half of what you will be asked.
CITB HS&E Specialist Mock Test — core knowledge (timed)
- 50 questions · 45 minutes · pass mark 90%
- Timed, exam conditions — answers are revealed at the end, just like the real CITB HS&E test.
- Some questions need more than one answer — these are clearly marked.
How the Specialist test is built
CITB states that the Specialist tests include questions from the five core knowledge areas contained in the Operatives test, as well as relevant questions in the chosen specialist areas. That has a practical consequence worth planning around: most of what you revise is the same material every operative on site revises, and the specialist section sits on top of it rather than replacing it.
The core, shared with Operatives
Working environment, occupational health, safety, high risk activities and specialist. Revise these first. They carry the most marks and they are the part you can practise fully today, using the mock above and the 21 topic banks.
Your specialist section
Questions specific to the topic you booked, from demolition and tunnelling to the four HVACR trades. Each topic has its own page here setting out what it covers and who needs it.
Specialist banks you can practise now
4 of the 12 specialisms have a dedicated question bank on this site, with worked explanations after every question.
The remaining specialist topics
Dedicated banks for these are in production. Each page explains what the topic covers and who needs it, and the core knowledge above applies to all of them in the meantime.
Topic names and codes verified against citb.co.uk, July 2026. Compare all twelve on the specialist tests hub.
Before you book
Confirm the version you need with the official CSCS Card Finder, because the card decides the test. If it turns out you need the standard version, take the Operatives mock test instead; managers and professional-card applicants need the Managers & Professionals test. Then read how to book the CSCS test.
Specialist test — common questions
- What is the CSCS Specialist test?
- It is one of the three versions of the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test. CITB describes it as being for trade-specific roles, and it draws questions from the five core knowledge areas in the Operatives test plus the specialist area you book. There are 12 specialist topics in 2026.
- Is the Specialist test harder than the Operatives test?
- It is the same length, the same 45 minutes and the same 45 out of 50 pass mark. What changes is the content mix: you keep the core knowledge and add a specialist section, so there is more to revise rather than a higher bar to clear.
- Which specialist test do I need?
- It follows from the card you are applying for, not from what you do day to day. Check with the official CSCS Card Finder before booking, because sitting the wrong version means paying the £23.50 again.
- Can I practise the specialist section here?
- Partly. Four specialisms have dedicated question banks on this site: Supervisory, Demolition, Highway works and Specialist work at height. The rest are in production, and we say so on each page rather than showing an empty test.