The qualification comprises two units:

Unit NG1: Management of health and safety

Why we should manage workplace health and safety

How health and safety management systems work and what they look like

Managing risk – understanding people and processes

Health and safety monitoring and measuring

Unit NG2: Risk assessment

Physical and psychological health

Musculoskeletal health

Chemical and biological agents

General workplace issues

Work equipment

Fire

Electricity

Assessment

NG1: Open book examination (approximately 4 hours within a 24-hour window)

NG2: Workplace-based risk assessment task

The NEBOSH National General Certificate is accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) at Level 6 in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).  For users in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, this is comparable to a vocationally-related qualification (VRQ) at Level 3 in the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).  A Level 3 VRQ is comparable (in academic terms) to an A-Level. 

The NEBOSH National General Certificate meets the academic requirements for:

• Technical membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (Tech IOSH).
• Associate membership of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (AIIRSM).

Assessments are available in English only.

Your standard of English must be such that you can both understand and articulate the concepts contained in the syllabus. 

NEBOSH recommends that non-native speakers undertaking this qualification should have a minimum standard of English equivalent to an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.0 or higher in IELTS tests.  For further information please consult the IELTS website: www.ielts.org

When you start the course, we enrol you as a student with NEBOSH. Your initial enrolment period lasts for 5 years. This means that you must pass your first unit within 5 years. If you fail to pass your first unit within 5 years, you will need to re-enrol and pay another registration fee.

When you pass your first unit, your enrolment period is automatically re-set and you have a further 5 years to pass the remaining unit. In other words, your first unit has a shelf-life of 5 years. If you do not pass the remaining unit within 5 years, your first unit will expire and you will have to retake this unit in order to pass the qualification.

When you join the course, we ask you to enter into the following agreement with us:

The British Safety Council will:

• Use suitably qualified and experienced tutors to deliver the tuition
• Cover all the specification learning outcomes
• Provide or direct you to the information you need to pass the qualification
• Provide you with expert advice on revision and examination technique
• Respond in a timely manner to any queries
• Be diligent and courteous at all times.

You must:

• Attend all scheduled sessions
• Contribute to group discussions in a positive manner
• Endeavour to be active, rather than passive in terms of learning
• Complete the required number of revision hours
• Pay particular attention to advice regarding revision and examination technique
• Bring any learning difficulties to our attention at the earliest opportunity.

The NEBOSH Learner Terms and Conditions can be found here.

The qualification specification (syllabus) can be found here.

Classroom and live online learners will receive a hard copy handbook for each unit at the start of the course.  If you are studying live online, these will be posted to your home address.  E-Learners will receive a digital copy.

You will be given access to an online portal containing the following PDF documents:

British Safety Council resources:

• Textbook
• Unit handbooks
• Open book examination guidance
• Revision tutorials.

NEBOSH resources:

• Guide to the NEBOSH National General Certificate (‘Syllabus Guide’)
• Open book examination learner guide
• Open book examination technical learner guide
• NG2 assessment template
• NEBOSH Learner Terms and Conditions.

Your tutor will provide support in relation to subject content and assessment preparation.  They can be contacted by telephone, video call or email at any time.

Results are issued 10 weeks after the assessment date.

Each unit is reported as ‘Pass’ or ‘Refer’. You must pass both units to achieve the qualification.

Qualification grades are awarded as follows:

Pass                45 – 64% in NG1 and Pass in NG2

Credit              65 – 74% in NG1 and Pass in NG2

Distinction       75% + in NG1 and Pass in NG2

Unit and qualification certificates are despatched by NEBOSH within 20 working days of the result notification date.

Should you have any queries, please contact our Education Team ([email protected])

If you are not satisfied with the service provided by your tutor or our Education Team, please contact our Customer Service Team ([email protected]).

You can also refer the matter to NEBOSH ([email protected]).

If you are not satisfied with the service provided by NEBOSH, please contact the Scottish Qualifications Authority ([email protected]).

NEBOSH National General Certificate is a Level 3 qualification, equivalent in academic terms to an A Level.

The NEBOSH National General Certificate is for those starting their careers in health and safety. It is taught over two weeks and leads to Technical membership of IOSH (Tech IOSH). The NEBOSH National Diploma is for those seeking a more senior position in health and safety. It is taught over six weeks and leads to Graduate membership of IOSH (Grad IOSH).

The NEBOSH General Certificate is equivalent in academic terms to an A Level. It is achievable through study and preparation. Our tutors guide learners through the course work and prepare them for the assessments.

The NEBOSH General Certificate takes 80-120 hours to study, depending on what delivery method you choose. There are set times when the exams are held which will need to be taking into consideration if trying to complete it in a short timeframe.

The cost of the NEBOSH General Certificate varies depending on what method of delivery you choose and the location. Please see the ‘How can I study’ section below for further information.