Step 0: make sure the green card is the right one
The Labourer card is for unskilled workers only. It confirms that you are not on a recognised training pathway, and CSCS says skilled workers holding one will be refused site access.
So before paying for anything, check where you stand:
- You are labouring on site (moving materials, digging, mixing, cleaning up, helping tradespeople): the green card is for you. CSCS lists these tasks as typical labouring work.
- You hold, or are enrolled on, a qualification for a trade: you do not need the Level 1 course. CSCS tells you to use that qualification or registration, with the right HS&E test, to apply for the card that matches your role, for example a red Trainee card or a blue Skilled Worker card. Our CSCS card types guide sets out every card.
- You clean on a live site: general site cleaners take the Labourer card; specialist cleaners need a blue card with a Level 2 cleaning qualification (CSCS).
Step 1: the Level 1 health and safety award (or an alternative)
On top of the test, a Labourer card applicant must hold one of these (CSCS evidence list):
- RQF Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment;
- SCQF Level 4 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment (Scotland);
- SCQF Level 5 REHIS Elementary Health and Safety Certificate;
- the NOCN/CSkills Awards Construction Health and Safety (F/618/0738) unit;
- a CSCS-approved alternative course.
Where to take it. CSCS does not run training. It points you to your local college, a training provider or Jobcentre Plus, and lists the awarding organisations that can tell you about providers, prices and possible funding (among them City & Guilds, Highfield, NOCN, Pearson, ProQual and others). Course prices are set by the provider, so compare a few.
Level 1 Award or an alternative? This choice matters later. CSCS describes the Level 1 Award as having lifetime validity. The alternatives expire and can only be used once:
| Alternative course | Awarding organisation | Lifetime | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety Awareness Course | CITB | 5 years | Classroom or online |
| Safe2Site | COSAC | 5 years | Online |
| DSA 1 Day Health and Safety Awareness Course | Drilling and Sawing Association | 5 years | Classroom |
| Health and Safety Awareness in Construction | NOCN | 5 years | Classroom |
| NPORS Site Safety Awareness Course | NPORS | 5 years | Classroom |
| SPA Core Construction Course | Safety Pass Alliance | 5 years | Classroom |
| Safety, Health and Environment for Construction Workers | IOSH | 3 years | Classroom and virtual face to face (IOSH e-learning not accepted) |
Source: CSCS Labourer card page. A five-year alternative must also have been completed within four years of your application. If you expect to stay in labouring, the lifetime Level 1 Award saves you redoing a course at renewal.
Step 2: pass the CITB HS&E test for Operatives
The "CSCS test" is really the CITB Health, safety and environment test, and the Operatives level is the one required for the Labourer card. The facts, from CITB:
- 50 questions in 45 minutes, pass mark 90%, so at least 45 correct;
- £23.50 per test, booked directly with CITB: online via Pearson VUE, by phone or through an Internet Test Centre.
Your pass must be from the last two years when you apply. Booking, ID and rescheduling rules are in our CSCS test cost and booking guide, and how to prepare is in the CSCS test revision guide.
Coming from Ireland? A SOLAS Safe Pass completed within two years of your application is accepted instead of the Operatives test. If you apply with an alternative to the HS&E test, you must also provide a passport-style photo.
Step 3: apply to CSCS
Apply yourself through the free My CSCS app or CSCS Online. CSCS says the only official places to apply are CSCS Online and the My CSCS app, and that third parties often add admin fees.
Have ready (CSCS):
- a scan or clear photo of your Level 1 Award (or alternative) completion certificate;
- the CITB test ID number from the top of your pass certificate;
- a debit or credit card for the £36 application fee.
Step 4: receive the card
Once the application is approved, you can use the digital card in the My CSCS app straight away, and CSCS says physical cards should arrive within five working days.
What it costs in total
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| CITB HS&E test (Operatives) | £23.50 |
| CSCS Labourer card | £36 |
| Level 1 Award or alternative | Set by the training provider |
How long the green card lasts
The first Labourer card is valid for two years. If you are still labouring after that, you can renew with a Labourer card renewal declaration, and for that first renewal CSCS accepts the HS&E test you used for the first card for up to three years. The details, and a difference between two CSCS pages about the length of the renewed card, are in our guide to renewing a CSCS card.
Before you book the test
The 90% pass mark leaves room for only five wrong answers, and the test covers all five CITB knowledge areas, not only the work you do every day. Try our free CSCS practice test, then work through the sections you are weakest on, such as high risk activities or occupational health. Our questions are original and written from HSE and GOV.UK guidance; passmock is independent and not connected with CSCS or CITB.
Sources
- Labourer card — CSCS (checked October 3, 2026)
- Applying for CSCS cards — CSCS (checked October 3, 2026)
- Evidence to upload with your CSCS application — CSCS (checked October 3, 2026)
- CITB Health, safety & environment test and alternatives — CSCS (checked October 3, 2026)
- Alternatives to the CITB Health, safety & environment test — CSCS (checked October 3, 2026)
- The 'CSCS test', everything you need to know — CSCS (checked October 3, 2026)
- About the Health, safety and environment (HS&E) test — CITB (checked October 3, 2026)
- Operatives test — CITB (checked October 3, 2026)
The Health, safety and environment (HS&E) test is owned and run by CITB. CSCS is the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. passmock is an independent practice service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CITB, CSCS or Pearson VUE. Our questions are original and are not taken from the CITB question bank.
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