SSSTS Training Online: What to Expect, Best Providers, and How to Pass

The SSSTS (Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme) is a two-day construction safety course administered by CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) in the UK. If you're a site supervisor or stepping up into a supervisory role, it's one of the most widely recognized safety qualifications you can hold — and increasingly required by principal contractors before they'll allow supervisory work on their sites.

This guide covers how SSSTS training online works, what's covered, how to find an approved provider, and how to prepare for the end-of-course test.

Can You Do SSSTS Training Fully Online?

Partly. CITB-approved SSSTS training is traditionally delivered in a classroom setting. However, since 2020 many providers offer a blended learning format:

• Pre-course e-learning: You complete a self-paced online module covering the knowledge content (roughly 4–6 hours) before Day 1
• Live virtual delivery: Some CITB-approved providers deliver the course via live video conference (Zoom, Teams) — check whether your chosen provider is approved for remote delivery
• In-person assessment: In most cases, the final exam must be taken in person at an approved venue

A fully online SSSTS course — including a remote exam — is not currently the standard CITB-approved format as of 2026. If a provider claims fully online completion with no in-person element, verify they're on the CITB's approved training organizations list before booking.

What Does the SSSTS Course Cover?

The two-day course is built around the key responsibilities of a construction site supervisor. Topics covered include:

Health, Safety, and Welfare Legislation

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and its key duties
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
• Supervisor's legal duties vs. those of the employer and principal contractor

Risk Assessment and Method Statements

• How to read and brief a risk assessment
• Method statement components and how to supervise to one
• Identifying hazards, evaluating risk, and controlling risk
• The Hierarchy of Control

Common Site Hazards

• Working at height (the leading cause of fatal accidents in UK construction)
• Excavation and underground services
• Manual handling and musculoskeletal risks
• Noise and vibration
• Hazardous substances (COSHH)
• Plant and machinery safety
• Electrical hazards

Supervisor Responsibilities

• Conducting and recording toolbox talks
• Induction responsibilities
• Monitoring and enforcing site rules
• Reporting accidents and near misses
• Welfare facilities requirements

Environmental Awareness

• Waste management and site tidiness
• Water and soil contamination risks
• Noise and dust nuisance management

The SSSTS Exam: Format and What to Expect

The SSSTS assessment is a multiple-choice test taken at the end of Day 2. Key details:

• Questions: 25 multiple-choice questions
• Time: 45 minutes
• Pass mark: 80% (you need to answer at least 20 out of 25 correctly)
• Format: Four options per question; one correct answer
• Open book? No — closed book, no reference materials

The test isn't designed to trick you — if you've engaged with the course content over the two days, most candidates find it manageable. That said, the 80% pass mark is firm, and the questions do include specific legislative details (regulation names, numbers, specific requirements) that benefit from study beforehand.

How to Find an Approved SSSTS Training Provider

Only CITB-approved organizations can deliver the SSSTS certificate. To find a legitimate provider:

1. Visit citb.co.uk and use the "Find a course" search tool
2. Filter by "SSSTS" and your location or delivery method (in-person / virtual)
3. Compare prices — courses typically cost £250–£400 + VAT for the two-day programme
4. Check dates — most providers run courses weekly in major UK cities

Be wary of providers not on the CITB-approved list. Non-CITB SSSTS certificates are not recognized by principal contractors, and you'd have wasted your money. Always verify directly through CITB's official directory.

SSSTS Funding Through CITB Grants

If you're employed in the UK construction industry and your employer pays the Construction Industry Training Board Levy (which most contractors with a wage bill above £80,000/year do), you may be eligible for a CITB training grant to offset the course cost. Grant amounts for the SSSTS course have varied; check the current CITB Grant Scheme rates at citb.co.uk/grants. Your employer's payroll team or training coordinator should be able to assist with the grant claim.

How to Prepare for the SSSTS Exam

Two days isn't a lot of time to absorb the material and then pass an 80%-mark exam. A few prep strategies that work:

Do the Pre-Course Reading

If your provider sends pre-reading materials or an e-learning module, do it before Day 1. Students who arrive familiar with CDM 2015 and the basic hierarchy of health and safety law get much more out of the two days and struggle less with exam questions.

Know Your Key Legislation

SSSTS exam questions frequently reference specific regulations by name. The ones you must know:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 — General duties of employers and employees
• CDM 2015 — Roles of client, principal designer, principal contractor, and contractors
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — Risk assessment requirements
• Working at Height Regulations 2005 — Hierarchy for working at height
• COSHH Regulations 2002 — Control of hazardous substances
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 — Risk assessment and avoidance
• PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations

Understand (Don't Memorize) the Hierarchy of Control

The Hierarchy of Control appears in multiple exam questions in different contexts. Know the order: Eliminate → Substitute → Engineering Controls → Administrative Controls → PPE. Understanding why the order exists is more useful than rote memorization for applying it to exam scenarios.

Take Practice Tests

Practice questions help you identify gaps and get comfortable with the multiple-choice format. Focus particularly on CDM 2015 roles, working at height requirements, and supervisor responsibilities under risk assessment legislation — these are perennially common exam areas.

SSSTS vs. SMSTS: What's the Difference?

Candidates often ask how SSSTS compares to the SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme):

• SSSTS: 2 days, aimed at supervisors, focus on supervisory safety responsibilities
• SMSTS: 5 days, aimed at site managers and contracts managers, covers broader management-level responsibilities

The SMSTS is the higher-level qualification. Many construction professionals complete SSSTS first as a stepping stone, then go on to SMSTS when moving into management roles. Both certificates are valid for 5 years.

What Happens After You Pass

Once you pass the SSSTS exam, you'll receive:

• A CITB SSSTS certificate, valid for 5 years from the course date
• Some providers also arrange or facilitate a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card application — the SSSTS certificate contributes to Supervisor-level CSCS card applications

If your certificate expires, you can take a 1-day SSSTS Refresher course rather than the full 2-day programme. The refresher also requires a passing exam score. Don't let your certificate lapse if you're actively working in a supervisory role — many contractors check certificate validity before site access.