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Guides and news on CSCS Cards, NVQs, CITB testing and getting qualified in UK construction.

NVQs & Qualifications · 4 August 2026

From Blue to Gold to Black: how to move up in construction

The step from tradesperson to supervisor to manager is marked by three cards and three qualification levels. Here is what each step asks for, and when to take it.

NVQs & Qualifications · 28 July 2026

How an online NVQ actually works, if you have never done one

No classroom, no exam, no revision. An NVQ assesses the work you already do - here is what your assessor actually needs from you, and how to gather it without slowing your week down.

Cards & Testing · 21 July 2026

Booking the CITB test: which version you need, and the mistake that costs you a day

There are three versions of the CITB health, safety and environment test, and booking the wrong one means sitting the right one again. Here is how to pick, what it costs and how long a pass lasts.

Cards & Testing · 14 July 2026

The green Labourer card now lasts two years, not five

Since February 2025 the first CSCS Labourer card is issued for two years instead of five. If you got a card recently, it expires sooner than you think - here is what changed and how renewal works.

Cards & Testing · 7 July 2026

Which CSCS card do you need? A plain guide to the colours

Green, blue, gold, black - the colour of a CSCS card is decided by the qualification behind it, not by how long you have worked. Here is which card matches which level, so you apply for the right one first time.

Cards & Testing · 30 June 2026

Grandfather rights have gone: what to do if your CSCS card was Industry Accreditation

Every remaining Industry Accreditation card expired on 31 December 2024 and cannot be renewed. If you got your card on experience rather than a qualification, here is what replaces it - and why it is easier than it sounds.