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Black Manager Card

Get your CSCS Black Card.

For site managers with access to suitable management work. We help you choose a relevant construction-management NVQ at Level 5, 6 or 7. Suitable candidates can complete through recognition of prior learning in weeks. The full route adds the GQA Managers and Professionals H&S test (online, no centre visit) and your physical Black CSCS Q-Card: we request your card once your NVQ is awarded, the test is passed, and identity and application checks are complete, subject to GQA approval.

Black complete route from £939 (NVQ only from £799)

Starting total for the Level 6 package, including the NVQ, H&S test and card request after qualification. Additional units and novice training are priced separately; ask us for a quote.

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GQA issues a Q-Card carrying the CSCS logo, as part of the CSCS Alliance. Employers can verify it with CSCS Smart Check. Choose the card appropriate to your occupation; each site sets its own access requirements.

Evidence from your current workPortfolio and interview

Built for experienced workers: our fastest compliant route

  • Start the same day. Your enrolment opens as soon as your payment clears.
  • Use evidence from the work you already do in your trade.
  • Your assessor can start reviewing each task as soon as you have uploaded all of its evidence.

Every route follows GQA rules. How long you take depends on your evidence, assessor feedback and quality assurance.

What your route needs

Your NVQ requires suitable work where your skills can be observed and evidence recorded. Your assessor confirms the assessment plan and any further evidence needed.

With Northgate Skills Centre

Organise project records and work history for initial assessment. Your assessor decides which evidence meets the management qualification criteria and what further evidence or discussion is required.

How to get your card

Complete the qualification and card requirements, then we handle your card request.

1

Tell us your role

Tell us about your management responsibilities. We help you choose the relevant construction-management NVQ at Level 5, 6 or 7, then confirm your package and total before payment.

2

Build your portfolio

Your assessor checks which criteria your project records meet and tells you what else to provide.

Your track record counts
3

Close the gaps

Record the work and supply the management evidence your assessor needs. Samples explain what to include; use your own project records and work.

4

Assessment discussion and qualification award

Your assessor reviews the portfolio, holds a professional discussion and records decisions against the criteria. Internal quality assurance samples the assessment before submission to GQA for award.

Card request and delivery

Once your NVQ is awarded and we have verified the required Managers and Professionals health and safety test pass, identity and remaining application details, we submit your card request to GQA. GQA processes the request and CSCS posts the card.

When to take the GQA health and safety test

The GQA Managers and Professionals test, sat here. A current CITB pass of the same type also counts. Sit it before, during or after your NVQ.

Start when you like

Choose your qualification and package, then check the total before payment.

Start your application: your roleAllow about 5 minutes for the application

What is your current role?

Choose your qualification

How the card routes compare

Black is for management roles. The cards reflect different responsibilities, not a compulsory purchase sequence.

Green CSCS Q-Card

Green CSCS Q-Card

Whether you are new to construction or already work as a labourer, this route provides the qualification and health and safety test required for your Green CSCS Q-Card.

Labouring roles
Blue Skilled Worker Card

Blue Skilled Worker Card

Prove your trade with an NVQ Level 2, assessed remotely on evidence you record on site.

Gold Advanced Craft or Supervisor Card

Gold Advanced Craft or Supervisor Card

GQA NVQ at Level 3 or 4.

Black Manager Card

Black Manager Card

You are here. GQA construction-management NVQ at Level 5, 6 or 7.

How much does a Black card cost?

The Black card package starts from £939.

Questions

Assessment uses evidence from your current management work and professional discussion with your assessor. Your assessment plan explains any observation, additional evidence, device or attendance requirements. Remote delivery does not remove the need to demonstrate competence.

You need management responsibilities and access to suitable current work. Project history and references help plan initial assessment. Your assessor decides which evidence meets the qualification criteria and what is still needed.

You can take the GQA Managers and Professionals test before, during or after your NVQ. It is sat online, so you do not need to visit a centre or take time off for travel. Once you pass the correct GQA test, no further CITB test is needed for your card. A current equivalent CITB pass of the right type may meet the requirement instead, subject to verification by GQA. Official tests are in English and have booking, device and invigilation conditions.

The full-route total covers the selected management NVQ, the relevant GQA health and safety test and your physical Black CSCS Q-Card request. The NVQ-only option excludes the test and card. Your level and optional extras determine the final total shown before payment.

Timing depends on your existing management skills and evidence, assessed through recognition of prior learning, plus assessor feedback and quality assurance. Candidates with strong current evidence can complete in weeks; others need more time to build their portfolio. Before enrolling, ask us to confirm your assessment plan, review schedule and access period. GQA award and card issuance are separate stages.

If you do not pass the GQA health and safety test, you can book a resit with us. There is no charge for a resit. Your assessor provides feedback on NVQ evidence that needs more work. Where a knowledge or written test is required, one resit is free; further resits have a fee shown on Pricing.

We submit your card request once your qualification, required H&S pass, checks, information and payment are complete. GQA aims to issue within 7 working days after receiving everything required. CSCS then posts the card: allow about 10 working days for it to arrive after GQA confirms. This is not a guaranteed arrival date.

The payment options available for your order are shown before you pay. If an instalment provider is offered, check its eligibility, repayment schedule and terms before choosing it. Availability can depend on the order and provider checks.

Your questions answered

CSCS accepts a construction management NVQ at Level 4 to 7 depending on your occupation, and GQA's Black Q-Card asks for Level 5, 6 or 7. SiteTicket delivers the GQA Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Construction Site Management, the usual choice for site managers. If you are not sure, check your occupation on the CSCS Card Finder before you apply.

No. SMSTS is a training course, not a qualification, and CSCS does not accept it for a card. A construction management NVQ does count.

That card is valid for three years and cannot be renewed. You need to complete the NVQ before it runs out. The sooner you start uploading evidence, the sooner the assessment can finish.

It depends on your evidence. Your enrolment opens the same day your payment clears, your assessor reviews each task as soon as you have uploaded its evidence, and candidates with strong existing evidence can complete through recognition of prior learning in weeks. We do not promise a fixed finish date.

Most of the route is evidenced from your phone: you film and photograph the management work you already do, your witnesses confirm it, and your assessor reviews it remotely and holds a professional discussion with you. Some checks may need a visit to our London centre. We explain the device and booking needs before any official assessment.

The GQA Managers and Professionals health and safety test, taken online with a live invigilator, or a CITB Managers and Professionals test passed within the last two years.

GQA is part of the CSCS Alliance. Its Q-Card carries the CSCS logo and can be checked with CSCS Smart Check. Each site sets its own access requirements, so check with your site if you are unsure.

The complete route at £1,885 covers the NVQ, the GQA Managers and Professionals test and the card request. The NVQ on its own is £1,795. You see the full total before you pay, and nothing is added at checkout. No VAT is added to our prices.

Yes. Employers can order for their team and pay by invoice. CITB-registered employers may be able to claim a CITB qualification grant; check the current CITB rates.

Five years.