Guides / How to get a CSCS card: the right card, the test and how to apply

How to get a CSCS card: the right card, the test and how to apply

Updated 9 November 2026

Most UK construction sites won't let you start work without a CSCS card or another skills card. It shows you have the training and qualifications for the job you do.

Getting one comes down to three things: the right card for your job, a recent health and safety test pass, and an application in the My CSCS app. This guide goes through each.

1. Pick the right card for your job

There are cards for labourers, skilled workers, supervisors, managers, apprentices, trainees and people on placements. The card has to match the work you do: CSCS warns that holding the wrong card can get you refused entry to site.

CSCS has a Card Finder on its website that asks about your job and qualifications and tells you which card to apply for. The most common ones:

Labourer card, the green card: for unskilled labouring work only. You need the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or an approved alternative. The first card lasts two years.
Skilled Worker card, the blue card: for those with a construction-related NVQ or SVQ at level 2, or a completed apprenticeship. It lasts five years.
Gold Skilled Worker card: for those with a construction-related NVQ or SVQ at level 3, or a completed approved apprenticeship. It lasts five years.
Manager card, the black card: for managers and technical roles, with a construction management or technical NVQ or SVQ at level 4 to 7 and the CITB test for managers and professionals. It lasts five years.
Apprentice card: for people on a recognised apprenticeship. It's free, lasts four years and six months, and can't be renewed: you move on to a skilled card when the apprenticeship ends.
Industry Placement card: for people on a construction course or training programme with at least three weeks of work placement, such as a T Level. It lasts two years and can't be renewed.

2. Pass the health, safety and environment test

Almost every card needs the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test, passed within the last two years, or an approved alternative. Most people take the test for operatives; managers and professionals take their own version.

CSCS doesn't run the test. You book it with CITB, and you'll need the test ID number from your pass certificate when you apply.

3. Have your qualification ready

Each card needs proof of the qualification it asks for. Have a scan or a clear photo of your certificate ready, or proof that you're registered on a qualification you're working through, or proof of membership of a professional body for the cards that accept it.

4. Apply in the My CSCS app

CSCS calls the free My CSCS app the quickest and easiest way to apply. You upload your certificate, and the app recommends the card that fits it. You can also apply online at CSCS Online; employers and training providers applying for someone else must use CSCS Online.

The card costs £36, paid by debit or credit card. CSCS has said the fee rises to £42 from 1 February 2027. Apprentice cards are free.

Once your card is approved, the digital card in your My CSCS app works straight away, so you don't have to wait for the plastic card to start using it.

Keeping your card in date

Every card has an expiry date. Sites check it, and an expired card means waiting at the gate. Renew through the My CSCS app before the date, and check whether your test pass is still within two years when you do.

Keep your cards in a free Sitro account

With a free Sitro account you keep your CSCS card and your other cards in one place, with their numbers, expiry dates and photos. When a site sends you its induction, the form fills itself in from your profile, so you only answer that site's own questions. Renew a card and update it once: every site that has approved you sees the new date. Sitro keeps your record; it doesn't issue or check cards, which only CSCS does.

Site Induction: Digital inductions new starters complete on their own phone before day one.
Training Matrix: Every worker and every card on one colour-coded grid, with expiry reminders.
Sitro vs spreadsheets, group chats and paper: Move the job out of spreadsheets, group chats and notebooks into one app.

Start a 14-day free trial, no sales call.

Questions

How much does a CSCS card cost?

£36, paid when you apply. CSCS has said it rises to £42 from 1 February 2027. Apprentice cards are free.

What do I need for a CSCS card?

A pass in the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test from the last two years, or an approved alternative, and proof of the qualification your card needs.

What are the requirements for the black CSCS card?

The black card is the Manager card. You need a construction management or technical NVQ or SVQ at level 4, 5, 6 or 7, or an approved alternative, and a pass in the CITB Managers and Professionals test from the last two years.

What is the green CSCS card?

The green card is the Labourer card, for unskilled labouring work only. You need the CITB test and the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or an approved alternative.

How do I get an Industry Placement card?

You need to be registered on a construction qualification or training programme with at least three weeks of work placement, and to have passed the CITB test for operatives in the last two years. The card lasts two years and can't be renewed.

How long does a CSCS card take?

CSCS doesn't give a fixed time. Once it's approved, your digital card in the My CSCS app works straight away.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice.