What Is a CSCS Green Card?
The green CSCS card is the Labourer card. CSCS says it is for unskilled workers only: it confirms the holder is not on a recognised training pathway, and skilled workers holding a Labourer card will be refused site access. If you work in a trade, you use your trade qualification to apply for the card that matches your role instead.
CSCS runs the card scheme and decides who gets a card. Holding a card isn’t a legal requirement, but CSCS says most principal contractors and major house builders in the UK require workers on their sites to hold a valid one.
What You Need for a CSCS Green Card
To apply for a Labourer card you need two things:
- A Level 1 qualification: the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or one of the alternatives CSCS accepts (such as the CITB Health and Safety Awareness course).
- A CITB Health, Safety and Environment test pass from within the last two years.
How to Get a CSCS Green Card in Three Steps
Step 1: Gain the Level 1 Award
CSCS accepts the Level 1 Award from a list of awarding organisations on its Labourer card page, including Highfield, City & Guilds, NOCN, Pearson, RSPH and others. CSCS doesn’t deliver training itself.
Our online Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment course teaches what the Level 1 Award covers and prepares you for its exam. Because CSCS only accepts the Award from the awarding bodies it lists, ask us which accredited exam you’ll sit before you book, so you know it will count.
Step 2: Pass the CITB HS&E test
The CITB Health, Safety and Environment test (often called the CSCS test) checks your knowledge of working safely on site. Labourers take the Operatives test:
- 50 questions in 45 minutes
- Pass mark 90% (at least 45 correct)
- Costs £23.50, booked online or by phone with CITB
- Must be passed within two years of your card application
CITB’s GT100 publication holds the questions and answers the test covers. Our online Preparation for the CITB Health, Safety and Environment Test course reviews the Level 1 learning and ends with a 50-question practice test in the same style.
Step 3: Apply to CSCS
Apply through the My CSCS app (employers applying in bulk use CSCS Online). Have your qualification certificate and the CITB test ID number from your pass certificate ready, and a debit or credit card for the £36 fee. Once approved, you can use your digital card straight away, and CSCS says physical cards should arrive within five working days.
What Does the Level 1 Course Cover?
Our online Level 1 course is an introduction to health and safety on and around construction sites, in ten short modules:
- Introduction: why health and safety matters on site, the law that applies and the consequences of failing to comply.
- Hazards, risks, assessments and controls: the difference between a hazard and a risk, and the basics of risk assessment.
- Slips, trips, falls and working at height: the most common causes of injury on site.
- Manual handling: lifting, carrying and moving loads safely.
- Plant, machinery and noise: working safely around plant and protecting your hearing.
- Respiratory risks: dust and other hazards to your lungs.
- Fire, electricity and gas safety.
- Chemicals and other onsite hazards.
- Vehicles, PPE and general safety: site traffic, personal protective equipment and site rules.
- Your pathway to your CSCS card: how the course fits into a card application.
Each module ends with a short multiple-choice test, and you need 70% to pass. You can study on any device, pick up where you left off and try the first module free.
How Much Does a CSCS Green Card Cost?
| Cost | Who sets it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Award (course and exam) | The training provider | Varies. Our online course is £75 + VAT; ask us about the exam |
| CITB HS&E test | CITB | £23.50 |
| CSCS Labourer card | CSCS | £36, rising to £42 from 1 February 2027 |
CSCS recommends applying directly to CSCS so you get the right card and pay the right fee. Be wary of websites that bundle these together at a high price.
How Long Does a CSCS Green Card Last?
Since 1 February 2025 the first Labourer card is valid for two years. If you’re still working as a labourer, you can renew for a further five years by completing the Labourer card renewal declaration form. When you renew that first two-year card, CSCS accepts your original HS&E test for up to three years.
If you held a Labourer card before February 2025, you can renew for five years with evidence that you work as a labourer and an HS&E test pass from within the last two years.
What to Do After Your Green Card
The green card is a starting point. Build on it with training for the hazards you meet most, such as asbestos awareness or working at height. You can browse all our online courses, and employers can see our live and on-site options on the health and safety training page. Many site teams also run regular toolbox talks to keep safety front of mind between courses.
What to Do Next
Start the CSCS green card course online and try the first module free, then send us an enquiry about the accredited exam. If you’re an employer with a group of new starters, tell us how many and we’ll reply within one working day with team pricing.