CITB SMSTS exam-day guide
CITB SMSTS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID
Bring original photographic identification (for example a current driving licence or passport). Most providers require this before you can sit the paper, but the exact list of accepted documents varies - confirm with the provider in advance which forms of ID they accept.
Booking confirmation and joining instructions
Have your course booking reference, venue address, start time and any pre-course instructions to hand, either printed or stored offline on your phone before the session begins.
Full attendance on every course day
The SMSTS exam is normally taken at the end of the course and eligibility usually depends on completing the full programme of days. Check your provider's attendance requirement and do not miss sessions.
Two black or blue pens
The paper is normally answered on a printed answer sheet, so bring spare pens in case one fails. Confirm with the provider whether any other stationery is issued or required.
Notebook and course workbook
Bring the course notes or workbook issued to you and your own notebook for the taught days. These are study aids for the course; the exam itself is normally closed book, so confirm what may be taken into the test room.
Personal details exactly as they should appear on the certificate
Check the spelling of your name and your date of birth against the booking, because the certificate is issued from the details registered with the awarding body. Ask for corrections before the exam is taken.
Reasonable adjustments agreed in advance
If you need extra time, a separate room, larger print or any other adjustment, request it from the provider well before the exam day. Adjustments are unlikely to be granted on the day.
Travel and parking plan
Confirm the venue, the nearest parking or public transport and the journey time, and aim to arrive with time to spare so that late arrival does not jeopardise your place on the paper.
Phone silenced and stored away
Mobile phones, smart watches and other devices should be switched off and put away for the duration of the exam. Check the provider's policy on where bags and devices must be left.
Revision summary of the core topics
Bring a one-page summary of the areas you find hardest - for example CDM 2015 duties, risk assessment and method statements, RIDDOR reporting, working at height, excavations, lifting operations, fire and emergency arrangements, and the role of the site manager.
Water and something to eat
Sessions can be long. Bring water and a snack so that concentration holds up through the final day and the exam itself, subject to the venue's rules on drinks in the exam room.
Provider contact number
Keep the training provider's phone number saved so you can let them know immediately if illness, travel disruption or another emergency stops you attending.
Plan the day
Re-read your course notes and highlight the legal duties, definitions and procedural steps you keep getting wrong. Work through practice questions from your course materials under timed conditions, and list any topic you still cannot explain in your own words so you can ask the tutor before the course ends.
Make sure you can state the main duties under CDM 2015 for client, principal designer, principal contractor and contractor, the hierarchy of control, the five steps of risk assessment, the purpose of a method statement and a permit to work, and the incidents that must be reported under RIDDOR.
Confirm the exam date, time and room with the provider, check the venue location and journey, and check that the name and date of birth on your booking are correct. Request any reasonable adjustment now if you have not already done so.
Avoid late-night cramming on the last two nights. Steady revision in daylight hours is more effective than a long session the night before.
Skim your summary sheet and the topics you flagged as weak. Do not try to learn new material. Pack your ID, pens, booking confirmation, notebook, water and snack in one bag so nothing is left to chance in the morning.
Check travel updates, set an alarm that allows a buffer, and decide what time you will leave. If you are unwell, contact the provider straight away rather than arriving unfit to sit the paper.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive at the venue ahead of the scheduled start and report to reception or the tutor. Have your photo ID ready to show.
Switch your phone off and put it away, take your seat, and read any instructions on the paper or answer sheet carefully before you begin. Listen to the invigilator's briefing in full.
The paper is normally short and tightly timed, so keep an eye on the clock. Aim to spend roughly a minute on each question and leave a few minutes at the end to check that every question has an answer.
Identify what is actually being asked - 'which is NOT', 'which TWO', 'the most appropriate action' - before looking at the answers. Several options are usually plausible, so choose the one that best reflects legal duty and the hierarchy of control.
Where more than one answer is required, count the answers you have selected against the number the question asks for, and make sure you are not including an option that is true in general but not called for by the question.
If a question will not resolve, mark it, move on and return at the end. Answer every question: an unanswered question scores nothing, whereas a reasoned choice may be right.
Hand in all materials as directed, note anything the provider tells you about results and certificates, and confirm how and when you will be contacted about the outcome.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID. The accepted forms of identification differ between providers, so confirm in advance what you must bring and check that your booking details match it.
The exam is normally closed book. Confirm with your provider what, if anything, may be taken to the desk - assume notes, textbooks and electronic devices are not permitted unless you are told otherwise.
Mobile phones, smart watches and other devices must be switched off and out of reach for the whole exam. Do not keep a device in a pocket.
Remain silent apart from asking the invigilator a procedural question. Do not look at another candidate's paper or attempt to communicate with anyone other than the invigilator.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and wait for the invigilator. Follow the provider's rules on breaks and on leaving and re-entering the exam room.
Reasonable adjustments must be arranged with the provider before the exam day. Do not assume extra time or a separate room can be granted on the day.
The pass mark is commonly around 80 per cent, but the exact threshold and the marking arrangements are set by the awarding body - confirm the current pass mark and the result timeline with your provider rather than relying on course-room rumour.
Resit and re-sit fee arrangements, and the validity period of the certificate, are set by the provider and awarding body. Confirm both with your provider before you sit the paper so you know where you stand if the outcome is not what you hoped.