CDM Advisor Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your CDM Advisor interview, it helps to see the questions from the interviewer's side. We have picked eight from our set of 12 and added the reason each one gets asked.

You will see this job advertised as both CDM Advisor and CDM Adviser in the UK. The interview questions are the same.

Eight CDM Advisor interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. When is a project notifiable to the HSE under CDM 2015, and who is responsible for submitting the F10?

Why they ask: Notification thresholds are a basic practical test of CDM knowledge.

2. What does a good designer's risk assessment or design risk register look like, and how do you use it?

Why they ask: Design risk management is where a CDM advisor adds real value, so they want depth.

3. What does a typical day as a CDM advisor involve, and why does the role matter?

Why they ask: They want to see you understand the advisory and monitoring nature of the role.

4. What are the principal designer's duties under CDM 2015, and how have these changed with the Building Safety Act?

Why they ask: This checks up-to-date knowledge of the PD role and the regulatory shift on competence.

5. How do you assess the competence of designers and contractors when advising a client on appointments?

Why they ask: Competence assessment is a statutory client duty, and a proportionate approach is expected.

6. What is the health and safety file, what goes into it, and when is it handed over?

Why they ask: They check that you understand the handover record and its purpose.

7. A designer says that safety is the contractor's problem and refuses to engage with design risk. How do you handle it?

Why they ask: Designer engagement is a classic challenge, and they want to see persuasion and firmness.

8. Tell me about a time your advice changed a design or project decision to improve safety.

Why they ask: This is the core outcome of the CDM role: influencing design early.

A sample answer to question 1

When is a project notifiable to the HSE under CDM 2015, and who is responsible for submitting the F10?

Under CDM 2015, a project is notifiable if the construction work is expected to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point, or if it exceeds 500 person days. The client is legally responsible for notifying the HSE using the F10 form, although in practice it is often completed by the principal designer or principal contractor on the client's behalf, provided that the client has agreed. The notification should be made as soon as practicable before the construction phase starts, and the details displayed on site where they can be read. The F10 must also be updated if the information changes, such as the principal contractor's appointment. For domestic clients, duties pass to the contractor or principal contractor, or by written agreement to the principal designer, but the notification thresholds still apply. As an advisor, I'd check early on whether a project is notifiable, so no one is caught out later.

Common mistake to avoid: Quoting the wrong thresholds; assuming only contractors notify

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 12 questions are on the CDM Advisor interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.