CSCS Tunnelling Specialist Test
TUNNOperatives working in tunnels, shafts and underground construction.
50
questions
45
minutes
45/50
to pass (90%)
£23.50
test fee
What the Tunnelling test covers
The Specialist test combines the five core Operatives knowledge areas with questions specific to tunnelling. Expect the specialist section to focus on:
- Underground atmospheres and gas monitoring
- Emergency egress and refuge
- Ground support and face stability
- Fire precautions underground
- Compressed-air working awareness
Tunnelling question bank — in production
We are writing dedicated tunnellingquestions. Because the core knowledge is identical across every HS&E test, the fastest preparation right now is the full 50-question Operatives mock plus the 21 topic question banks.
How the Tunnelling test is structured
CITB builds every Specialist test the same way: the five core knowledge areas from the Operatives test, plus questions specific to your specialism. Those core areas are working environment, occupational health, safety, high risk activities and specialist, and they account for the larger share of the 50 questions. The practical consequence is that most of your revision for the TUNN test is the same revision every operative on site does, so start there and add the specialist material on top.
Same format as every HS&E test
50 questions in 45 minutes with a 45 out of 50 pass mark. Five wrong answers are allowed and a sixth fails you.
Booked as one exam
The core and specialist questions come in one 45-minute appointment costing £23.50, not as two separate sittings.
Your card decides it
The specialism follows from the CSCS card you are applying for. Confirm with the official Card Finder before booking.
Revising for Tunnelling when the specialist bank is thin
Because the core is shared, the fastest way to raise your score on any specialist test is to fix weaknesses in the core knowledge first. Sit a full timed 50-question mock cold, read the per-topic breakdown, then drill whichever of the 21 topic question banks cost you the most marks. Come back to the specialist material once the core is reliable, because a specialist section cannot rescue a weak core: the core is simply the bigger half of the paper.
When you are clearing 45 out of 50 consistently rather than once, read what ID to bring and how to book. Turning up without the right identification means no test and no refund, which is the commonest avoidable way to lose the £23.50.
Related specialist tests
These sit closest to Tunnelling in trade and in hazard. If you are unsure which specialism your card requires, compare them before you book.
Next steps
Confirm this is the right test with the official CSCS Card Finder, then book your Specialist test. Compare the other 11 specialist topics if you are unsure.
Topic name and code verified against citb.co.uk, July 2026.