PQP vs AQP, which White card is yours?
The White colour covers two cards for senior people, separated only by how you qualified:
- Professionally Qualified Person (PQP), this page, for members of a CSCS-approved professional body (chartered engineers, surveyors, architects and the like).
- Academically Qualified Person (AQP), for holders of a construction-related academic qualification (degree, HND, HNC, CIOB Certificate, certain NEBOSH). See the AQP card guide.
Important: the PQP card cannot be renewed
When your PQP card expires you must apply for a new one, CSCS rejects applications to renew an existing PQP card. This is different from the temporary red cards: there is no “stepping stone” restriction, you simply submit a fresh application with current evidence.
Who is the PQP card for?
The CSCS Professionally Qualified Person card, the PQP card, in the White family, recognises people who hold membership of a CSCS-approved professional body. It is the card for chartered and professional members working in construction: civil, structural, mechanical and building services engineers, chartered surveyors, architects, project managers and occupational safety professionals. Rather than an academic qualification or a trade NVQ, your route in is your professional standing.
It is valid for 5 years. As covered above, it cannot be renewed in place, you re-apply on expiry. It sits alongside the Academically Qualified Person (AQP) card; the two differ only in whether you qualified academically or through a professional body.
Accepted professional bodies
CSCS recognises more than 55 professional bodies for the PQP card. Some of the most widely held are grouped by sector below, each body has its own accepted membership grades:
Engineering
- Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
- Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)
- Energy Institute (EI)
Surveying & building
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
- Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
- The Welding Institute (TWI)
Architecture
- Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
- Architects Registration Board (ARB)
Project & safety
- Association for Project Management (APM)
- Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
- Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
This is a selection, there are 40+ more, and each body accepts specific membership grades. See the complete list and the accepted grades on the official page at cscs.uk.com.
Your professional membership must stay current
The PQP card depends on active membership. Your membership must be renewed annually, and your evidence must confirm membership for the current calendar year and the level you hold. If you fail to renew, or your professional body revokes your membership, your PQP card may be cancelled without notice.
Evidence of membership accepted
When you apply, CSCS accepts any one of the following as proof of current membership:
- A membership certificate for the current calendar year.
- Both sides of a membership card for the current calendar year.
- An up-to-date letter or email from your professional body (current year).
- A receipt of payment for current-year membership.
- A clearly dated screenshot from the professional body's website.
Test requirements, MAP or CIC
You also need a current health-and-safety test pass, and CSCS accepts either:
- The CITB Managers and Professionals (MAP) Health, Safety and Environment test, 50 questions in 45 minutes, pass mark 45 out of 50 (90%)(previously 46/50 / 92% before CITB's 2025 standardisation), or
- The CIC (Construction Industry Council) Health and Safety test.
How to apply, and what happens on expiry
Apply through CSCS Online with your evidence of membership, your MAP or CIC test pass, and a photo meeting the CSCS requirements; cards typically arrive within 5 working days. The card costs £36, the standard CSCS card fee. When it reaches the end of its 5-year life you do not renew it, you submit a fresh application for a new PQP card with current evidence.
Career progression
The PQP card recognises your professional standing in its own right. Many senior professionals moving into construction-management responsibility also hold the Black Manager card, which uses the same MAP test, so a PQP holder is already well placed to add it. For the full set of routes, see our types of CSCS cards directory and CSCS card types explained.
How our mock tests help you prepare
If you take the CITB MAP route, it is 50 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, with a 45/50 (90%) pass mark and no negative marking. Our practice tool covers the full syllabus with a bank of over 3,000 exam-style questions and an explanation on every wrong answer. Drill topic by topic in practice mode, then sit a full timed free mock test, no signup needed.
Sample MAP question
What are the five steps of a risk assessment?
Answer: (1) Identify the hazards; (2) decide who might be harmed and how; (3) evaluate the risks and decide on precautions, applying the hierarchy of control; (4) record your findings and implement them; (5) review the assessment and update it when things change. This is the standard HSE five-step approach.