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Construction skills certificate scheme (CSCS)
What is this scheme? • The scheme aims to register all people working in the construction industry in the UK. • You need a registration card. This is the size of a credit card and lasts for 3 or 5 years • It is becoming increasingly difficult to get work on larger building sites without a CSCS card • There are two aspects to the scheme – skills and health and safety. • For general information on the scheme go to cscs.uk.com Proving your skills • The CSCS scheme is based on the skills that you have. • These skills might be proved by the fact that you have an NVQ qualification, that you are an experienced worker, or that your employer has confirmed your abilities. Health and Safety requirements – who needs to take the test? • Whatever your skills, you will first need to pass the health and safety requirements before you can apply for a CSCS card • If you have achieved an NVQ, SVQ, ICC (Intermediate Construction Certificate) or ICA (Intermediate Construction Award) in the two years before you apply for a CSCS card then you will not have to take a separate health and safety test. • If you have not achieved any of the above qualifications in the past two years, then you will need to take the Health & Safety Test. What is the Health & Safety Test? • It is a 45 or 60 minute multiple choice test on health and safety in construction. The test is on a screen and there are 40 or 50 questions to answer. • You can arrange to take the test in languages other than English or have special arrangements if you are dyslexic. You need to arrange this when booking your test. Where can I take the test? In London you will probably take the test at a driver theory test centre. • Telephone 0870 600 4020 Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm • You normally need to pay by debit or credit card when you phone. • If you cannot pay by card, you may be able to get a support worker to help you through a homeless organization. They may be able to arrange payment by cheque. How much does the test cost? £17.50 How can I prepare for the test? • The Test Question Book contains all the questions and answers you could face in the test. It costs £8.49 and is available in different languages such as Polish and Portuguese. • The Test Queston CD-Rom contains all the questions you could face plus tests for you to practice. It costs £10.99 and is available in different languages such as Polish and Portuguese. • Some Jobcentres may run courses to prepare you for the health and safety test. Enquire at your local jobcentreplus. • Some charities have run courses to prepare you for the health and safety test. Check, for example, rkl.org.uk You can take it as many times as you wish. You have to pay £17.50 each time. What do I do after I pass the test? Apply for the application pack for a CSCS card. Phone 0844 576 8777 |