Taking the CSCS test when English isn't your first language
The Operatives CSCS test has voiceovers in 14 languages, including Polish and Romanian, and translators on request. How it works and how to book.
Bartłomiej Żabicki · Updated · 6 min read
Many people working on UK construction sites grew up speaking another language. If that is you, the CSCS test can feel harder than it needs to be — not because you do not know how to work safely, but because the questions are in English. The good news: CITB offers real help. You can hear the Operatives test read out in one of 14 languages, and in some cases you can have a translator. This guide explains what is available, how to book it, and how to prepare.
Details correct as of September 2026 — check CITB's "Support for the HS&E test" page before you book, because options can change.
First: what the test is
The "CSCS test" is the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test. It has 50 questions in 45 minutes, and you need 45 correct to pass. You book it with CITB through Pearson VUE. For the full picture, see what's in the CSCS test.
CITB calls language support a reasonable adjustment. You do not need to have a disability to ask for one.
Voiceover: hear the test in your language
For the Operatives test, CITB offers voiceovers in these 14 languages:
- English
- Welsh
- Bulgarian
- Czech
- French
- German
- Hungarian
- Lithuanian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish
How voiceover works
With a voiceover, you hear the questions and the possible answers read out in the language you chose.
One important detail: the text on the screen stays in English. You listen in your language, and you read in English at the same time. This can help, because you can check a word you do not know against what you hear.
How to book a voiceover
For the Operatives test, CITB says the voiceover can be chosen during the online booking journey — so you can pick it when you book your test online. If your employer books a group of people through CITB's group booking system, a voiceover can be booked there too.
If your language is not on the list
For the Operatives test, CITB can provide a translator if there is no voiceover for your language. Someone appointed by CITB comes to the test centre to support you.
You cannot book a translator in the normal online booking. You need to contact CITB's Adjustments team:
- Phone: 0344 994 4491
- Email: citb.adjustments@pearson.com
When you contact them, CITB asks you to say:
- which HS&E test you want to take (Operatives, Specialist or Managers and Professionals)
- which test centre you would like to use
- what adjustment you need
- any evidence you have to support your request
A member of the Adjustments team will then contact you to talk about what you need and complete your booking, subject to availability.
Extra time and a separate room
If you take your test with a translator, a reader or a reader-recorder, CITB says you will get a separate room at the test centre and extra time to complete the test.
Plan ahead
CITB warns that waiting times can be longer for these appointments, because it needs time to find a suitably qualified person. If you need a translator, contact the Adjustments team early. Do not leave it until the week your card is needed.
Other support for reading
Language is not the only reason reading a test can be hard. For the Operatives test, CITB also offers:
- Reader — a person who reads the questions and possible answers to you exactly as they appear on the screen.
- Reader-recorder — a person who reads the questions and answers to you, and records your answers as you give them.
- British Sign Language (BSL) video — a recording of a BSL signer that plays on screen during the test.
Readers and reader-recorders are booked through the Adjustments team, like translators.
Specialist and Managers tests are different
Support is not the same for every level of test. Check which test you need before you plan.
| Test | Voiceover | Other language options |
|---|---|---|
| Operatives | 14 languages (listed above) | Translator if there is no voiceover for your language |
| Specialist | English and Welsh only | Translator if there is no voiceover for your language |
| Managers and Professionals | English | On-screen translation in Welsh |
So if your first language is, say, Polish or Romanian, and you are taking a Specialist test, there is no voiceover in your language — you would need to ask the Adjustments team about a translator.
Revising in your language
It is much easier to learn safety in the language you think in, and then connect it to English.
- CITB's official revision app. CITB says its Operatives revision app is available in the same 14 voiceover languages. It is available for Android and iOS.
- Learn the English words as well. Even with a voiceover, the screen is in English. It helps to know the key safety words in both languages, so reading and listening match up.
- Practise with the sound on. If you will use a voiceover on the day, practise listening to questions, not just reading them. Get used to hearing a question once and choosing an answer.
Key English safety words to know
These are everyday words on UK sites and in safety material. Learn what they mean, in English and in your own language.
| English word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hazard | Something that could cause harm (for example, a hole, a chemical, noise) |
| Risk | How likely it is that someone gets hurt, and how badly |
| PPE | Personal protective equipment — hard hat, boots, gloves, glasses, hi-vis |
| Prohibited / forbidden | Not allowed |
| Mandatory | You must do it |
| Supervisor | The person in charge of your work |
| Induction | The safety talk you get when you start on a new site |
| Permit | Written permission needed before certain work can start |
| Report | Tell your supervisor or the right person |
| Emergency | A sudden dangerous situation, such as a fire or serious injury |
| Welfare | Toilets, washing, drinking water, rest areas |
| Exclusion zone | An area you must keep out of |
Safety signs help too, because they use colours and shapes that work in any language. Our safety signs guide explains the system.
Tips for test day
- Choose your voiceover when you book. Check your booking confirmation shows the language you asked for.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early, with your booking confirmation and ID that shows your photo and signature, as CITB asks. Make sure the name on your booking matches your ID.
- Read and listen together. If you are not sure about an English word on screen, let what you hear in your language help you understand it.
- Take your time with each question, but watch the clock. 45 minutes for 50 questions is a little under a minute each — unless you have a translator or reader, when CITB gives you extra time.
- Keep your score report safe. You need it for your card application.
Revise, then book
The language support is there to make the test fair, not easier. You still need 45 out of 50. Follow a clear plan like our two-week revision plan, practise with timed tests, and only book once you are scoring well above the pass mark.
We are building CSCS Prep, an independent revision app for iPhone and iPad. It will offer its original practice questions in English, Polish and Romanian. It is coming soon. CSCS Prep is not affiliated with CITB or CSCS Ltd, its questions are not real test questions, and it does not change how the real test or its voiceovers work.
Written by Bartłomiej Żabicki
iOS developer writing Swift since 2015 and the maker of CSCS Prep, an independent revision app for the CSCS health, safety and environment test.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I take the CSCS test in my own language?
- For the Operatives test, CITB offers voiceovers in 14 languages: English, Welsh, Bulgarian, Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian and Spanish. The text on screen stays in English.
- What if my language has no voiceover?
- For the Operatives and Specialist tests, CITB can provide a translator if there is no voiceover for your language. Book it through CITB's Adjustments team on 0344 994 4491 or citb.adjustments@pearson.com, and allow extra time, as waiting times can be longer.
- Do I get extra time with a translator?
- Yes. CITB says candidates who take the test with a translator, a reader or a reader-recorder get a separate room at the test centre and extra time to complete the test.
- Is the Specialist test available in Polish or Romanian?
- CITB lists voiceovers for the Specialist tests in English and Welsh only. If you need another language, ask CITB's Adjustments team about a translator.
Try it yourself
Revise for the HS&E test on your phone
CSCS Prep has original practice questions, timed 50-question mocks and scenario-based case studies that train the safe-behaviour judgement the test still checks, for iPhone and iPad. Free daily practice; one fair price for the rest. Independent — not affiliated with CITB or CSCS.
Keep reading
- What's in the CSCS test? The HS&E test explained50 questions, 45 minutes, 45 correct to pass. The three test levels, what they cover, how to book and what to bring.
- How to pass the CSCS test first time: a 2-week revision planA day-by-day plan that fits around work: one topic a day in week one, timed mocks and a mistakes list in week two.
- Construction safety signs: colours and shapes explained (UK)Learn the colour and shape system once and you can read any safety sign — on site and in the test.