High risk activities: free CSCS practice questions

Practise height, excavations, lifting, demolition and services. Try ten questions chosen from this topic's 50-question bank.

Unofficial practice. UK Trade Jobs is not affiliated with CSCS or CITB. These are our own questions, not the official CITB question bank. This is a study aid, not workplace instruction, a qualification or a substitute for training and supervision.

The CITB operatives test format

CITB states that the operatives test has 50 questions, lasts 45 minutes and requires 45 correct answers to pass. Its five knowledge areas are working environment, occupational health, safety, high risk activities and specialist. Format checked against CITB on 9 November 2026.

Our full practice paper uses ten questions per area. This is our study balance, not CITB’s question weighting or an exact reproduction of its question styles. The topic tests have ten questions and an optional nine-minute timer; they have no official pass mark.

Use CITB’s official test information and booking options and official revision materials. Check which test your card route requires before booking.

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Ten questions to study now

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  1. 1. What is the first question when planning work at height?

    1. Can the work be done without working at height?
    2. Which harness colour should be bought?
    3. Can the job be done without supervision?
    4. Can the task be rushed?
    Answer and explanation

    Can the work be done without working at height?

    Avoiding work at height removes the fall exposure where reasonably practicable.

    Read the source guidance

  2. 2. If work at height cannot be avoided, what comes next in the hierarchy?

    1. Accept falls and rely only on first aid
    2. Prevent falls using suitable measures
    3. Remove all edge protection
    4. Use a warning sign as the only control
    Answer and explanation

    Prevent falls using suitable measures

    Preventing a fall takes priority over merely limiting its consequences.

    Read the source guidance

  3. 3. Which usually protects everyone on a platform without individual action?

    1. Only a personal warning
    2. Only one person's harness
    3. Suitable collective protection such as guardrails
    4. Only a trade card
    Answer and explanation

    Suitable collective protection such as guardrails

    Collective measures can protect multiple people without relying on each attaching equipment.

    Read the source guidance

  4. 4. Why must weather be considered before outdoor work at height?

    1. Weather affects only office work
    2. A harness cancels every weather risk
    3. Weather matters only after a fall
    4. Wind, rain or ice can change the risk
    Answer and explanation

    Wind, rain or ice can change the risk

    Conditions can make access and work surfaces unsafe.

    Read the source guidance

  5. 5. Why is a rescue plan needed where a fall-arrest system is used?

    1. A suspended person may need prompt planned rescue
    2. It replaces fall prevention
    3. It allows untrained work
    4. It makes all anchors suitable
    Answer and explanation

    A suspended person may need prompt planned rescue

    Rescue arrangements must be considered before relying on personal fall protection.

    Read the source guidance

  6. 6. Who should carry out a ladder pre-use check?

    1. Only the manufacturer once
    2. The user before the task
    3. Only the site visitor
    4. Nobody if it is borrowed
    Answer and explanation

    The user before the task

    Users should check the ladder's condition before use.

    Read the source guidance

  7. 7. A ladder has been dropped since its last check. What is needed?

    1. No action if paint is intact
    2. Only turning it around
    3. Another check for damage before use
    4. Using it for a shorter task
    Answer and explanation

    Another check for damage before use

    A change such as a drop can introduce defects after an earlier check.

    Read the source guidance

  8. 8. What should happen if ladder feet are damaged or contaminated?

    1. Place it on loose packaging
    2. Ask a colleague to ignore the defect
    3. Use it on a steeper angle
    4. Do not use it until the problem is safely resolved
    Answer and explanation

    Do not use it until the problem is safely resolved

    Pre-use checks should identify defects affecting stability and grip.

    Read the source guidance

  9. 9. Why should a borrowed ladder still be checked?

    1. Its current condition is not guaranteed by ownership
    2. Borrowed ladders are always stronger
    3. Only owned ladders need inspection
    4. A loan removes the user's responsibility
    Answer and explanation

    Its current condition is not guaranteed by ownership

    Every use requires a suitable check regardless of who owns it.

    Read the source guidance

  10. 10. What is the purpose of checking ladder stiles and rungs?

    1. To choose a paint colour
    2. To identify damage that could cause failure
    3. To calculate the supplier's profit
    4. To avoid checking the feet
    Answer and explanation

    To identify damage that could cause failure

    Pre-use checks aim to identify serious defects before an accident.

    Read the source guidance

Question bank 1.0.0: 250 original questions, 50 per topic. Guidance principally concerns Great Britain; check the applicable arrangements for your workplace. Public-sector guidance is attributed at each answer. Contains public-sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. No source organisation endorses this tool.

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