CSCS Supervisor Mock Test: 50 Free Practice Questions (2026)

Prepare for your CSCS Supervisor Test with this free practice quiz featuring 50 exam-style questions and answers. It covers essential construction health, safety and environmental topics to help you test your knowledge, identify weak areas and build confidence before the real exam.

1. As supervisor you're told to get a job finished by the end of the day, but doing so safely means it will run into tomorrow. What should you do?

Let the team decide whether to cut any corners

Push the team to finish today whatever it takes

Start the risky part yourself so nobody else has to

Explain to your manager why it can't be done safely today

Question 1 of 50

2. One of your team keeps ignoring the requirement to wear eye protection when using a grinder. You've reminded him once already. What should you do?

Move him to a different task with no PPE needed

Ignore it, as he's experienced and knows the risks

Dock his pay for the rest of the shift

Give him a formal warning and record the conversation

Question 2 of 50

3. You're briefing a task and realise the risk assessment on file doesn't match what's actually happening on the ground. What should you do?

Stop and have the risk assessment reviewed before work starts

Use your own judgement and skip the assessment

Ask the team what they think the risks are and proceed

Carry on and update the paperwork afterwards

Question 3 of 50

4. A new labourer joins your team mid-project and hasn't had the site induction. What should you do?

Let him start and book the induction for later that week

Arrange his induction before he does any work on site

Give him a quick verbal summary and let him crack on

Pair him with an experienced worker instead of inducting him

Question 4 of 50

5. You discover two of your team have been skipping the permit-to-work system for hot works because it "slows them down". What should you do?

Have a quiet word and let it go this time

Report only if a fire actually breaks out

Stop the work, re-brief the permit system and enforce it

Speed up the permit process so they stop skipping it

Question 5 of 50

6. A subcontractor's team is working near yours and creating a hazard your risk assessment doesn't cover. What should you do?

Stop the subcontractor's work yourself

Tell your own team to keep clear and carry on

Ignore it, as they're not your responsibility

Raise it with the subcontractor's supervisor and the site manager

Question 6 of 50

7. During a toolbox talk, several of the team clearly don't understand the method because English isn't their first language. What should you do?

Carry on, as they'll pick it up as they go

Split them off onto simpler tasks instead

Ask them to sign the sheet to confirm attendance

Provide the briefing in a form they can understand

Question 7 of 50

8. You spot early signs that a member of your team is struggling with stress and their work is suffering. What should you do?

Say nothing unless they raise it first

Tell them to leave their problems at home

Take them off site until they sort themselves out

Talk to them privately and point them to available support

Question 8 of 50

9. A near miss is reported to you where a load swung close to a worker. Nobody was hurt. What should you do?

Investigate the cause and put controls in place

Note it and move on, since there was no injury

Warn the crane operator to be more careful

Wait to see if it happens again before acting

Question 9 of 50

10. Your manager asks you to sign off a scaffold as safe, but you're not trained to inspect scaffolding. What should you do?

Sign it, as your manager has asked you to

Sign it but add a note that you're not trained

Ask a member of your team to inspect it instead

Explain you're not competent and arrange a qualified inspection

Question 10 of 50

11. Halfway through a task the weather turns and conditions become unsafe for working at height. Your team wants to finish. What should you do?

Let them finish since they're nearly done

Stop the work at height until conditions improve

Reduce the team so fewer people are exposed

Let the most experienced worker carry on alone

Question 11 of 50

12. You realise a method statement you approved has a step that could put the team at risk. Work hasn't started yet. What should you do?

Remove the step and tell nobody

Warn the team verbally about the risky step

Revise the method statement before any work begins

Let the work start and watch that step closely

Question 12 of 50

13. What is the main purpose of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations?

To set the minimum wage on construction sites

To decide which trades can work on a site

To set out how disputes between contractors are settled

To plan, manage and coordinate health and safety through a project

Question 13 of 50

14. Under CDM, who has the main duty to manage health and safety during construction work?

The client

The HSE inspector

The principal contractor

The principal designer

Question 14 of 50

15. As a supervisor, what should you do before a high-risk task begins?

Confirm the client is happy with the programme

Check that everyone has been paid for the week

Make sure the job is finished as quickly as possible

Check the risk assessment and method statement are in place and understood

Question 15 of 50

16. What is the purpose of a "safe system of work"?

To decide the order trades arrive on site

To record who worked on each part of the job

To set out a way of working that controls the risks

To make sure the job is done as cheaply as possible

Question 16 of 50

17. Which of these best describes a supervisor's role in risk assessment?

To write every risk assessment on site personally

To keep risk assessments locked away from the team

To sign assessments without reading them to save time

To make sure assessments are followed and still valid on the ground

Question 17 of 50

18. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, what duty does an employer owe its workers?

To pay for their professional qualifications

To provide free transport to and from site

To guarantee them work for a fixed period

To ensure their health, safety and welfare so far as is reasonably practicable

Question 18 of 50

19. What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?

They mean the same thing in practice

A hazard can cause harm; a risk is the chance and severity of that harm

A hazard applies to people and a risk applies to plant

A risk is a type of hazard found only at height

Question 19 of 50

20. Which injury must be reported to the HSE under RIDDOR?

A minor cut treated with a plaster

A near miss where nobody was hurt

A worker feeling tired at the end of a shift

A worker off for more than seven consecutive days after an injury

Question 20 of 50

21. An employer has to prepare a written health and safety policy if:

They employ a safety officer

They employ five people or more

They employ three people or more

The work is going to last more than 30 days

Question 21 of 50

22. What does the lower exposure action value for noise mean?

Noise limit at the site boundary

Average background noise level

Noise level where workers can request hearing protection

Noise level where hearing protection must be worn

Question 22 of 50

23. What should be considered first when planning work in a confined space?

Job duration

PPE requirements

Number of operatives needed

Avoid entering the space

Question 23 of 50

24. Who is responsible for submitting a RIDDOR report?

The site first aider

The injured worker

The worker’s next of kin

The responsible person, usually the employer

Question 24 of 50

25. An HSE inspector issues an improvement notice. What does it require?

The site to pay a fine on the spot

The work to stop immediately and permanently

A named fault to be put right within a set time

The supervisor to be removed from the project

Question 25 of 50

26. Which THREE are duties of a site supervisor?

Ensure safe working practices

Check PPE is used correctly

Set the client’s project budget

Report hazards and incidents

Carry out all statutory inspections personally

Question 26 of 50

27. What should a supervisor do first when planning to control a hazard?

Issue PPE to everyone involved

Put up warning signs around the area

See whether the hazard can be removed altogether

Write a method statement for the task

Question 27 of 50

28. Why should a supervisor encourage workers to report near misses?

To spot and fix problems before they cause injury

To find out which workers are careless

To reduce the amount of paperwork on site

To decide who should be disciplined

Question 28 of 50

29. What is the main reason for keeping records of toolbox talks?

To decide who gets overtime

To satisfy the client's programme

To prove workers were paid for attending

To show what safety information was given and to whom

Question 29 of 50

30. A supervisor notices a young worker (under 18) on the team. What extra consideration applies?

They must not be allowed on site at all

They can only work if a parent is present

They must be paid the same as an adult worker

They may need closer supervision and a specific risk assessment

Question 30 of 50

31. What is the supervisor's role if an accident happens on site?

Decide immediately who was to blame

Move everything back to normal as fast as possible

Wait for the HSE before doing anything

Question 31 of 50

32. Which document sets out the health and safety arrangements for a specific construction project?

The construction phase plan

The client's business plan

The delivery schedule

The wages book

Question 32 of 50

33. What is the best way for a supervisor to check that controls are actually working?

Ask the client whether they're happy

Wait for an accident to reveal any gaps

Assume they work because they're written down

Carry out regular site inspections and observe the work

Question 33 of 50

34. A worker refuses to carry out a task they believe is unsafe. What should the supervisor do?

Order them to do it anyway

Send them home without pay

Listen, check the concern and put it right if valid

Give the task to someone who won't complain

Question 34 of 50

35. Why is it important to plan deliveries and storage of materials on site?

To avoid creating trip, access and manual handling hazards

To keep the site looking tidy for visitors

To make sure the client pays on time

To reduce the number of workers needed

Question 35 of 50

36. What does the term "competent person" mean?

Someone appointed by the client

Someone who has worked on site the longest

Someone who holds any type of CSCS card

Someone with the training, knowledge and experience for the task

Question 36 of 50

37. What should a supervisor do if a worker does not understand an instruction?

Ask them to guess

Allow them to continue

Explain the instruction clearly

Send them home immediately

Question 37 of 50

38. Which TWO actions help a supervisor promote a positive safety culture?

Only mentioning safety after an accident

Leading by example and following the rules themselves

Encouraging workers to raise concerns without blame

Punishing anyone who reports a problem

Keeping safety information to themselves

Question 38 of 50

39. Before allowing work in a confined space, what must a supervisor ensure is in place?

Extra lighting and nothing more

A mobile phone in case of problems

A single worker who knows the area well

A permit, atmosphere testing and a rescue plan

Question 39 of 50

40. What is the main purpose of a permit-to-work system?

Record workers’ hours

Arrange the work order

Track site deliveries

Formally authorise and control high-risk work

Question 40 of 50

41. Why must a supervisor ensure guardrails and toe boards are fitted to a working platform?

To make the scaffold look finished

To provide a place to store tools

To stop people and materials falling from the edge

To mark the boundary of the work area

Question 41 of 50

42. Which of these is the most effective way to protect several workers from a fall-from-height risk?

Fitting guardrails or safety nets

Telling workers to take care

Putting up a warning sign

Issuing each worker a harness and lanyard

Question 42 of 50

43. What should a supervisor do about a piece of plant that has failed its inspection?

Take it out of use until it is repaired and re-inspected

Allow it to be used for light work only

Let the operator decide if it's safe

Use it until a replacement arrives

Question 43 of 50

44. Why should a supervisor make sure lifting operations are properly planned?

Because a failed lift can kill or seriously injure people

Because lifting is the fastest way to move materials

Because it looks professional to the workforce

Because the client requires a written plan

Question 44 of 50

45. How should a supervisor deal with a worker who appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol?

Give them a break until they feel better

Let them carry on if they seem to be coping

Move them to a task away from machinery

Remove them from any work activity and report it

Question 45 of 50

46. What is the supervisor's responsibility regarding COSHH on site?

To leave chemical safety to each worker

To store all chemicals in the site office

To make sure assessments exist and controls are used

To taste substances to check they're safe

Question 46 of 50

47. Which of these best reduces the risk of hand-arm vibration among a team using power tools?

Giving workers thicker gloves only

Rotating tasks and limiting trigger time

Telling workers to grip the tools tighter

Buying the cheapest tools available

Question 47 of 50

48. When is it acceptable for a supervisor to let workers skip a required control to save time?

When the job is nearly finished

When the client is applying pressure

When only experienced workers are involved

Never — required controls must always be followed

Question 48 of 50

49. A supervisor is planning work next to a public footpath. What must they consider?

Only the speed of the work

Only the safety of their own workers

Only the appearance of the hoarding

The safety of the public as well as the workforce

Question 49 of 50

50. What should a supervisor do if they identify a hazard they cannot control with the resources they have?

Ignore it and hope it causes no harm

Escalate it to management so it can be dealt with

Wait until the next site meeting to mention it

Deal with it however they can and say nothing

Question 50 of 50