Summary
The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) question set is divided into 10 sections, each covering a different area of compliance and risk management. To pass your audit, you need the right evidence ready for each one - not just a yes/no answer. This checklist explains all 10 CAS sections, what each looks for, and the documents you should have to hand before you start. Use it to gap-check your own readiness, then download our free CAS checklist to track your progress section by section.
How the CAS Question Set Is Structured
CAS uses one industry-agreed question set, published by Build UK and currently on Version 5 (1 July 2025). It is split into 10 sections so suppliers can work through it in manageable parts and buyers can see exactly which risk areas have been assessed.
Most questions are mandatory, and many require supporting evidence. You may be exempt from parts of a section if you already hold a relevant accreditation - a valid SSIP certificate, for example, can cover much of the Health & Safety section. If you are new to the standard, our pillar guide which includes a downloadable free checklist and explains what the Common Assessment Standard is before you dive into the detail below.
The 10 CAS Sections at a Glance
# | Section | Evidence to prepare |
1 | Identity | Company registration number, structure, business type and size (micro/SME status). |
2 | Financial Information | Two years of accounts or equivalent for your organisation type. |
3 | Business & Professional Standing | Declarations on convictions, sanctions and connected persons. |
4 | Health & Safety | H&S policy, arrangements, competent advice, accident records (or valid SSIP). |
5 | Building Safety | Evidence of organisational capability for duty-holder roles under the Building Safety Act. |
6 | Environmental Management | Environmental policy; ISO 14001/EMAS; waste carrier licence where relevant. |
7 | Quality Management | Quality policy and ISO 9001 (or equivalent). |
8 | Equal Opportunities / FIR | Equality, diversity and Fairness, Inclusion & Respect policy. |
9 | Business Ethics | Modern slavery statement; anti-bribery and corruption policy. |
10 | Information Management | Data management, security, and BIM / common data environment capability. |
Section-by-Section Detail
1. Identity
Basic but essential: your registered company name, number, legal structure and business size. Whether you qualify as a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise matters, because micro-businesses are assessed proportionately.
2. Financial Information
You will typically need accounts for the last two years, with the specifics depending on whether you are a start-up, sole trader, partnership or established company. This section evidences your financial stability and ability to deliver.
3. Business & Professional Standing
Declarations covering convictions, sanctions, insolvency events and "connected persons". These are largely yes/no with supporting detail where applicable, and confirm your eligibility to bid.
4. Health & Safety
One of the most evidence-heavy sections: your H&S policy, the arrangements for putting it into effect, the source of your competent H&S advice, and your accident and incident record. If you hold a valid SSIP certificate, much of this section is covered - see CAS vs SSIP.
5. Building Safety
Mandatory since Version 5. It asks how you ensure capability for design and construction duty-holder roles under the Building Safety Act - including how you account for occupants when working in occupied buildings. This section ties directly to the Golden Thread of building information.
6. Environmental Management
Your environmental policy and arrangements. Questions cover whether you hold ISO 14001 or EMAS certification and whether you hold a waste carrier, broker or dealer's licence.
7. Quality Management
Assesses your quality control and assurance. The key question is whether you hold a valid ISO 9001 certificate (or equivalent) and how you manage quality on projects.
8. Equal Opportunities / Fairness, Inclusion & Respect
Your policies and practices for preventing discrimination and promoting equality. The FIR element was updated in Version 5 to reflect current guidance.
9. Business Ethics
Covers modern slavery (including your statement where required), anti-bribery and corruption arrangements, and broader ethical conduct.
10. Information Management
How your organisation specifies, secures, stores and uses project data - including your ability to work within a common data environment and to support BIM. As construction becomes more data-driven, this section carries growing weight, and centralised building information is increasingly the expectation.
Your CAS Preparation Checklist
Before you start the assessment, confirm you can answer "yes, and here's the evidence" to each of these:
- All policies (H&S, environmental, quality, equality, modern slavery, anti-bribery) are current and signed off
- Insurance certificates are in date and the company name matches your registered name exactly
- Two years of accounts are available
- ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 certificates are valid (and verified)
- A valid SSIP certificate is in place if you intend to use it for the H&S section
- Building Safety evidence is ready if you carry out work under the Building Safety Act
- Information management / BIM capability can be evidenced
CAS Checklist
Our free CAS checklist provides a structured framework to help you build your PQQ in line with the Common Assessment Standard (CAS). Each section in the contents links directly to a corresponding tab, making it easy to navigate and use.
Keep Your Evidence Audit-Ready All Year
The hardest part of CAS is not answering the questions - it is having current evidence ready when you need it. Mobilize stores your compliance documents centrally, tracks expiries automatically and flags anything that needs attention, so you are always ready for assessment or renewal. To prepare more broadly, see our supplier-side PQQ guide.
Posted on 25 May 2026
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Common Assessment Standard vs SSIP: What's the Difference?
The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) and SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) are often confused, but they cover very different ground. SSIP deals only with health and safety competence and provides mutual recognition between H&S assessment schemes. CAS is far broader - a full pre-qualification framework covering 10 areas, of which health and safety is just one. CHAS and Constructionline are not standards at all; they are assessment bodies that can certify you against both SSIP and CAS. This guide explains how they relate, where they overlap, and which your business actually needs.
What Is the Common Assessment Standard (CAS)? A Complete Guide
The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) is the UK construction industry's standardised pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ), developed by Build UK. It replaced PAS 91 - which was withdrawn by BSI in April 2023 and is now the preferred pre-qualification method for public sector construction procurement under Procurement Policy Note PPN 03/24. CAS uses a single industry-agreed question set, divided into 10 sections, that lets a supplier prove their capability and compliance once and share it with multiple buyers. The current Version 5 (published 1 July 2025) made the Building Safety section mandatory. Around 21,000 suppliers now hold CAS certification through one of seven Recognised Assessment Bodies.
How to Get Common Assessment Standard Certified: A Step-by-Step Guide for Suppliers
To get Common Assessment Standard (CAS) certified, you apply to one of the seven Build UK Recognised Assessment Bodies - such as Constructionline, CHAS or Compliance Chain - complete the industry-agreed question set, submit supporting evidence and pass either a desktop or site-based audit. Certification lasts one year. Because of CAS data sharing, you only need to be certified once and can then share the result with other bodies and clients. This guide walks through the process step by step, explains the two audit levels, and shows how to prepare so you pass first time.