Chainsaw Maintenance & Crosscutting
Maintain a chainsaw and crosscut timber safely.
Also known as: CS30 chainsaw ticket · CS30 revision · CS30 practice test · CS30 mock exam
- None — this is the entry ticket.
Pathway map
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Foundation · start here
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Arrows of dependency read left-to-right. means the tier on the right assumes the tier on the left.
- Petrol chainsaw with sharp chain
- Manufacturer manual
- Files, scrench, depth gauge, spare chain
- Type A or C trousers, helmet, gloves, boots
- Two-stroke + chain oil
- Daily and weekly machine checks
- Chain sharpening to spec
- Crosscutting logs under tension/compression
- Safe stance and exclusion zones
About the CS30 ticket
NPTC Level 2 Award in Chainsaw Maintenance and Crosscutting (formerly City & Guilds 0020-03 / 0020-04, Lantra-equivalent ITA chainsaw maintenance and crosscutting)
CS30 — formally the NPTC Level 2 Award in Chainsaw Maintenance and Crosscutting — is the UK entry ticket for any ground-based chainsaw work. Whether you're calling it the CS30 chainsaw ticket, the City & Guilds 0020-03, or simply the chainsaw ground ticket, it's the same unit, and it's the prerequisite for almost every chainsaw qualification that follows (CS31, CS32, CS34, CS39). This page is the ArbTicket revision hub: what's actually on the test, the pass criteria assessors mark against, the mistakes that fail people, and a flashcard deck grounded in the published NPTC criteria and FISA / HSE guidance.
- Daily and weekly maintenance checks — chain brake, throttle interlock, anti-vibration mounts, sprocket and bar wear.
- Chain sharpening to manufacturer spec — file size, top-plate angle, side-plate angle, depth-gauge setting.
- Refuelling and starting drills, including cold-start, hot-start, and the drop-start prohibition.
- Crosscutting under tension and compression — reading the log, choosing top, bottom or boxed cuts.
- Safe stance, exclusion zone, and saw kickback awareness (front handle grip, thumb wrap).
- Oral questions on PPE standards, two-stroke mix, and emergency stop / chain brake operation.
- Conduct a full pre-use check and identify any defect that would stop the saw being used.
- Sharpen a chain to a uniform angle and depth across every cutter, both sides.
- Crosscut a minimum number of logs (provider-set) without pinching the bar or creating an unsafe stance.
- Use the chain brake correctly when moving between cuts and when starting the saw.
- Answer oral questions on PPE, fuel handling, and exclusion zones to the assessor's satisfaction.
- Drop-starting the saw — an automatic fail with most assessors.
- Inconsistent file angles — one or two cutters off-spec is usually tolerated, a full chain off-spec is not.
- Pinching the bar on the first crosscut by ignoring tension/compression.
- Leaving the chain brake off when walking between cuts.
- Out-of-date or unmarked PPE turning up on the bench.
Cost and duration are typical UK provider ranges, not quotes. Always confirm with your training centre.