Occupational health: free CSCS practice questions

Practise dust, noise, vibration, skin and exposure controls. 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. Cutting masonry creates a visible dust cloud. What should be checked first?

    1. Whether suitable dust controls are in place and working
    2. Whether the job can be finished before lunch
    3. Whether the dust looks pale
    4. Whether nobody has coughed yet
    Answer and explanation

    Whether suitable dust controls are in place and working

    Dust controls should prevent or reduce exposure at source.

    Read the source guidance

  2. 2. Which approach reduces dust before relying on a mask?

    1. Work faster with the same uncontrolled method
    2. Use a suitable lower-dust method or effective extraction/suppression
    3. Open a door and assume that is sufficient
    4. Wait for dust to settle on clothing
    Answer and explanation

    Use a suitable lower-dust method or effective extraction/suppression

    Preventing or controlling dust at source is preferable to relying on RPE alone.

    Read the source guidance

  3. 3. Why is dry sweeping fine construction dust a concern?

    1. It makes all dust harmless
    2. It removes the need for extraction
    3. It can put settled dust back into the air
    4. It prevents exposure to nearby workers
    Answer and explanation

    It can put settled dust back into the air

    Cleaning methods should avoid creating another airborne exposure.

    Read the source guidance

  4. 4. Dust extraction stops during cutting. What should happen?

    1. Continue while holding your breath
    2. Move closer to see the cut
    3. Remove the extraction attachment permanently
    4. Stop the dusty task and restore effective controls
    Answer and explanation

    Stop the dusty task and restore effective controls

    Work should not continue with essential exposure controls out of action.

    Read the source guidance

  5. 5. No dust is visible under the site lights. What does that prove?

    1. It does not prove the air is safe to breathe
    2. That respirable dust is absent
    3. That monitoring is never needed
    4. That all extraction can be removed
    Answer and explanation

    It does not prove the air is safe to breathe

    Fine harmful particles are not reliably assessed by sight alone.

    Read the source guidance

  6. 6. You uncover material suspected to contain asbestos during work. What should you do?

    1. Break off a piece to identify it
    2. Stop disturbing it, keep others away and report it
    3. Sweep up the debris dry
    4. Continue because the material is old
    Answer and explanation

    Stop disturbing it, keep others away and report it

    Suspected asbestos needs competent assessment before work continues.

    Read the source guidance

  7. 7. Can an ordinary visual inspection reliably confirm a material is asbestos-free?

    1. Yes, if it is painted
    2. Yes, if it does not smell
    3. No; appropriate information or competent identification is needed
    4. Yes, if it is not white
    Answer and explanation

    No; appropriate information or competent identification is needed

    Appearance alone cannot establish whether a material contains asbestos.

    Read the source guidance

  8. 8. What should inform work that may disturb asbestos-containing material?

    1. Only the building's appearance
    2. Only the worker's age
    3. Only the tool manufacturer's advert
    4. Relevant asbestos information and a suitable plan
    Answer and explanation

    Relevant asbestos information and a suitable plan

    Work must take account of asbestos risks before disturbing building materials.

    Read the source guidance

  9. 9. What does asbestos awareness training alone permit you to do?

    1. Recognise and avoid risks, not automatically carry out asbestos work
    2. Remove any asbestos product
    3. Dispose of all asbestos without controls
    4. Decide every task is non-licensed
    Answer and explanation

    Recognise and avoid risks, not automatically carry out asbestos work

    Awareness is not the additional task-specific training needed for asbestos work.

    Read the source guidance

  10. 10. Someone proposes brushing suspected asbestos debris into a general skip. What should you do?

    1. Help to finish quickly
    2. Stop and escalate for the correct specialist arrangements
    3. Mix it with clean rubble
    4. Take it home in a work bag
    Answer and explanation

    Stop and escalate for the correct specialist arrangements

    Asbestos waste and contamination require specific controlled arrangements.

    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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