Construction Industry Training Board test changes

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Health, Safety and Environment test has been updated with effect from 26 June 2019.  The intention is to make the test more accessible but also more demanding to pass.

This is important to the construction industry as the test is one of the methods used to demonstrate knowledge of health and safety on site if you’re applying, or re-applying, for a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card.  The CSCS card is increasingly becoming the de facto standard to gain entry to a construction site.  All the technical staff at Aegis have CSCS cards as they often visit sites where cards are needed to enter.

The CITB have stated that the rationale behind the changes are “so that it continues to assure workers that their fellow operatives can be trusted to be safe on the job and not put them to risk of harm”.   There have been concerns raised previously that the test, and the procedures linked to taking it, were not stringent enough resulting in workers without the correct level of health and safety competence getting onto sites.

Earlier in 2019 the test was amended to include drag and drop-style questions rather than just multiple-choice lists and more use of pictures.  From 26 June 2019 there will be further changes to the content of the test to better reflect the role and responsibilities of operatives on construction sites.  There will be a broader range of questions of varying degrees of difficulty.  The number of questions remains the same – 50 to be answered in 45 minutes – with a pass mark of 45.

The other main change is to the revision materials for the test.  Previously these contained all of the questions and answers.  Now the revision materials contain more explanatory notes and diagrams but not all of the questions and answers.  The intention is to encourage workers to gain knowledge and understanding rather than learn the answers by rote.