Old NPTC chainsaw codes and the awards that replaced them
Which award numbers the City and Guilds NPTC factsheet prints beside the old CS codes, what each award's status is in the 2026 list, and what the awarding bodies and the safety bodies say about refreshers.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official sources say. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The sources are City and Guilds (which runs the NPTC awards), Lantra Awards, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Forest Industry Safety Accord (FISA). Job ads in the UK still print the old NPTC unit codes, CS30, CS31, CS38 and so on. This page lines each code up with the award number the awarding body printed beside it, and says what each body writes about refreshers.
The guide on chainsaw and tree work tickets by country holds the full code tables. This page does not repeat them. It only covers the old codes and what the awarding bodies say about each.
What the awarding body's own factsheet says
The City and Guilds NPTC factsheet for the Level 2 and 3 forestry and arboriculture suite has a column headed "Replaces". It gives the old CS code for each award. The factsheet is undated. It lists the awards under their old QCF titles and Ofqual numbers, and some entries carry two City and Guilds numbers, one for independent assessment and one for integrated assessment.
The status column below comes from the City and Guilds 2026 fees and qualifications list, which shows each award as open or closed to certification. Where the list has no row for a number, the cell says so.
| Old code | Award the factsheet lists beside it, with its City and Guilds numbers and Ofqual number | Status in the 2026 list |
|---|---|---|
| CS30.1 | Level 2 Award in Chainsaw Maintenance. The factsheet also lists CS30.1 against the combined Maintenance and Crosscutting award and the Ground Based Chainsaw Operations award Numbers: 0020-01 and 0020-09, 600/6160/1. Combined award 0020-03, 600/6161/3. Ground Based award 0020-12, 500/7727/2 | 0020-01, 0020-03 and 0020-09: closed to certification, certification expiry December 31, 2021. 0020-12: no row |
| CS30.2 | Level 2 Award in Cross-cut Timber Using a Chainsaw. Also listed against the combined award and the Ground Based award Numbers: 0020-02, 600/6428/6. Combined 0020-03. Ground Based 0020-12 | 0020-02 and 0020-03: closed, certification expiry December 31, 2021 |
| CS31 | Level 2 Award in Felling and Processing Trees up to 380mm. Also listed against the Ground Based award Numbers: 0020-04, 600/6162/5. Ground Based 0020-12 | 0020-04: closed, certification expiry December 31, 2021 |
| CS32 | Level 3 Award in Felling and Processing Trees Over 380mm Numbers: 0021-01 and 0021-11, 600/6163/7 | No row |
| CS34 and CS35 | Level 3 Award in Severing Uprooted or Windblown Trees Using a Chainsaw (one award listed against both codes) Numbers: 0021-02, 600/6430/4 | No row |
| CS37 | Level 2 Award in Branch Removal and Breakdown of a Crown Numbers: 0020-05, 600/6303/8 | Open to certification. Registration expiry December 31, 2027, certification expiry December 31, 2030 |
| CS38.1 | Level 2 Award in Accessing a Tree Using a Rope and Harness. Also listed against the Tree Climbing and Rescue award Numbers: 0020-07, 600/6164/9. Tree Climbing and Rescue 0020-13, 600/6620/9 | 0020-07 and 0020-13: closed, certification expiry December 31, 2021 |
| CS38.2 | Award in Aerial Tree Rescue Operations. Also listed against the Tree Climbing and Rescue award Numbers: 0021-06, 600/6292/7. Tree Climbing and Rescue 0020-13 | 0021-06: closed, certification expiry December 31, 2021 |
| CS39 | Award in Aerial Cutting of Trees using Free-fall Techniques Numbers: 0021-08, 600/6621/0 | No row |
| CS40 | Award in Aerial Tree Pruning Numbers: 0021-07 and 0021-13, 600/6431/6 | Both closed, certification expiry December 31, 2021 |
| CS41 | Award in Aerial Tree Rigging Numbers: 0021-09, 600/6498/5 | Closed, certification expiry December 31, 2021 |
| CS45 | Level 2 Award in Supporting Colleagues Undertaking Off Ground Tree Related Operations Numbers: 0020-08 and 0020-11, 600/6435/3 | No row |
| CS48 | Level 2 Award in Safe Use of a Powered Pole Pruner Numbers: 0020-06 and 0020-10, 600/6417/1 | No row |
| CS50 | Award in Emergency Treework Operations Numbers: 0021-05, 600/6437/7 | No row |
CS33 and CS36 do not appear anywhere in the factsheet, and no other page read for this guide ties them to an award, so they are left out. The factsheet also lists three awards under "New Qualification" with no CS code: Assisted Fell Operations (0021-03, 600/6429/8, closed to certification in the 2026 list), Preparing and Agreeing Emergency Treework Operations (0021-04 and 0021-12, 600/6123/6) and Installation and Maintenance of Structural Tree Supports (0021-10 and 0021-14, 600/6436/5).
What the awarding bodies do not say
None of the pages read says in so many words that a 0039 certificate of competence replaces a named 0020 or 0021 award or a CS code. The 0039 handbooks carry their own title, number and Ofqual number. The City and Guilds CPD handbook for 0041-01 says only that "equivalent legacy" City and Guilds certificates of competence are acceptable as the entry requirement, without naming codes. So this page does not draw a line from CS30 to 0039-20 or from CS31 to 0039-21. The titles are close, but the awarding body does not state the mapping.
The same goes for Lantra Awards. Its specifications for the ground-based chainsaw suite and the aerial suite name no CS code and no NPTC number anywhere.
Current awards the factsheet does not cover
These open awards sit outside the factsheet's tables. Each links to its own guide where one exists. All were shown as open to certification in the 2026 list, with registration expiry December 31, 2027 and certification expiry December 31, 2030, unless noted.
| Number | Title | Ofqual number |
|---|---|---|
| 0020-05 | Level 2 Award in Branch Removal and Crown Breakdown using a Chainsaw | 600/6303/8 |
| 0039-22 | Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Climbing Trees and Aerial Rescue (guide) | 603/7355/6 |
| 0039-23 | Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness (guide) | 603/7356/8 |
| 0039-31 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Aerial Tree Pruning (guide) | 603/7358/1 |
| 0039-32 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Aerial Tree Rigging (guide) | 603/7359/3 |
| 0039-38 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Use of a Chainsaw from a Mobile Elevating Work Platform (guide) | 603/7651/X |
| 0037-03 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Thorough Examination of Arboricultural Equipment (guide) | 603/7883/9 |
| 0038-30 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Basic Electrical Knowledge (guide) | 603/7885/2 |
| 0038-31 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Tree Species Recognition, Growth Characteristics and Associated Hazards (guide) | 603/7886/4 |
| 0038-32 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Ground-based Pruning (guide) | 603/7887/6 |
| 0038-33 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Aerial Pruning (guide) | 603/7888/8 |
| 0038-34 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Assisted Tree Felling (guide) | 603/7889/X |
| 0038-35 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Use of Chainsaw from a MEWP (guide) | 603/7890/6 |
| 0038-40 | Level 4 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture Surveyor (guide) | 603/7891/8 |
| 0038-41 | Level 4 Certificate of Competence in Utility Arboriculture ETR 132 Resilience Arboricultural Surveyor (guide) | 603/7892/X |
| 0039-24 | Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Arboricultural Ground Worker (guide) | 603/7643/0 |
| 0039-25 | Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Branch Removal and Crown Breakdown (guide) | 603/7644/2 |
| 0039-26 | Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Powered Pole Pruner Maintenance and Operation (guide) | 603/7645/4 |
| 0039-27 | Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Felling Utility Poles (guide) | 603/7884/0 |
| 0039-30 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Assisted Felling (guide) | 603/7357/X |
| 0039-35 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Dealing with Interwoven Stems and Part Blown Trees (guide) | 603/7648/X |
| 0039-36 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Emergency Treework Planning (guide) | 603/7649/1 |
| 0039-37 | Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Individual Windblown Trees (guide) | 603/7650/8 |
The guides for the main ground-based awards are 0039-20 maintenance and crosscutting, 0039-21 small trees, 0039-33 medium trees and 0039-34 large trees.
Lantra Awards titles
Lantra publishes its own awards with their own Ofqual numbers. They are separate qualifications, not City and Guilds numbers under another name. The guide on the Lantra Level 3 aerial awards sets hours and prerequisites side by side.
| Lantra Awards title | Ofqual number |
|---|---|
| Level 2 Award in Chainsaw Maintenance | 600/5699/X |
| Level 2 Award in Cross-cut Timber Using a Chainsaw | 600/5700/2 |
| Level 2 Award in Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting | 600/5701/4 |
| Level 2 Award in Felling and Processing Trees up to 380mm | 600/5703/8 |
| Level 3 Award in Felling and Processing Trees over 380mm | 600/5704/X |
| Level 3 Award in Assisted Fell Operations | 600/5705/1 |
| Level 3 Award in Severing Uprooted or Windblown Trees Using a Chainsaw | 600/5706/3 |
| Level 3 Award in Emergency Treework Operations | 600/5702/6 |
| Level 2 Award in Using a Powered Pole Pruner | 600/5708/7 |
| Level 3 Award in Access a Tree Using a Rope and Harness and Aerial Rescue | 610/6135/9 |
| Level 3 Award in Carry Out Aerial Cutting of Trees With a Chainsaw Using Free-fall Techniques | 600/5713/0 |
| Level 3 Award in Carry Out Aerial Tree Pruning | 600/5712/9 |
| Level 3 Award in Aerial Tree Rigging | 600/5714/2 |
| Level 3 Award in Stationary Rope Work Positioning and Rescue | 603/5091/X |
| Level 3 Award in Use of a Chainsaw from a Mobile Elevating Work Platform | 600/6732/9 |
| Level 3 Award in Thorough Examination of Arboricultural Lifting Equipment | 610/6136/0 |
Lantra's ground-based chainsaw specification is version 3. It lists a qualification start date of September 1, 2012 for the suite. The aerial specifications, version 1 each, give an operational start date of September 1, 2025.
Site cards
Three UK card schemes are written up separately from the awards. The guides on the CSCS card, the CPCS card and the NPORS card report who issues each card and what its own pages say about requirement.
Refreshers and renewal
The HSE leaflet Chainsaws at work (INDG317) says all chainsaw operators should do regular refresher or update training. It suggests an interval of every two to three years for occasional users and every five years for full-time users. The HSE page on training and certification says refresher training is recommended at specific intervals for certain high-risk activities, operating chainsaws among them.
FISA's training and certification guide (FISA 805, updated August 2025) words it a little differently. It says INDG317 recommends refresher or update training every three to five years. It then gives FISA's own recommendation: for most machinery operations, including chainsaw and aerial tree work, recorded refresher or update training at least every five years. It adds that certain trained skills, first aid and aerial rescue among them, need specific regular practice and updating. The guide says following FISA guidance is not compulsory and that doing so will normally be enough to comply with the law. The two documents do not agree on the interval, and each is a recommendation.
City and Guilds runs formal CPD modules for refreshers, numbered 0041. The handbook for 0041-01 repeats the INDG317 intervals and says a fail in the CPD module does not invalidate the certificate of competence behind it. It also says employers, landowners or those commissioning works may ask for evidence of training inside the INDG317 intervals before work starts. Lantra lists refresher courses under its chainsaw category. Its page for the refresher in maintenance, cross-cutting and felling up to 380mm says the course is for people who need refresher training as set out in INDG317.
None of the handbooks read for this guide gives an expiry period for the certificate of competence itself. The two-year figure in the handbooks is the length of a registration to take the assessment. The Arboricultural Association's own refresher wording was not found on a page that could be read, so it is not reported here.
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources
- City and Guilds NPTC, Land Based Level 2 and 3 suite of forestry and arboriculture qualifications factsheet, undated, read October 8, 2026
- City and Guilds, Qualifications fees and pricing 2026 with status and expiry dates, read October 8, 2026
- City and Guilds NPTC, 0041-01 CPD module in chainsaw maintenance and cross-cutting handbook, version 2.0 August 2025, read October 8, 2026
- City and Guilds NPTC, chainsaw and related operations qualification list, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 2 and 3 awards in ground-based chainsaws qualification specification, version 3, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Access a Tree Using a Rope and Harness and Aerial Rescue specification, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting and felling up to 380mm refresher course page, read October 8, 2026
- Health and Safety Executive, Chainsaws at work INDG317 rev2, read October 8, 2026
- Health and Safety Executive, tree work training and certification page, updated September 22, 2026, read October 8, 2026
- Forest Industry Safety Accord, FISA 805 Training and certification, updated August 2025, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Aerial Tree Pruning specification, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Aerial Cutting of Trees with a Chainsaw Using Free-fall Techniques specification, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Aerial Tree Rigging specification, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Use of a Chainsaw from a MEWP specification, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Thorough Examination of Arboricultural Lifting Equipment specification, read October 8, 2026
- Lantra Awards, Level 3 Award in Stationary Rope Work Positioning and Rescue specification, read October 8, 2026
- Forest Industry Safety Accord, FISA 805 Training and certification PDF, August 2025, read October 8, 2026