NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC)

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 1 — Why We Manage H&S

  • Course induction & overview
  • Moral, financial and legal reasons for H&S
  • Key legislation (ILO / national frameworks)
  • Regulators and enforcement

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Element 1 continued

  • Main H&S duties of employers, employees and others
  • Contractor selection, monitoring and management
  • Q&A

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 2 — H&S Management Systems

  • ISO 45001 and ILO-OSH2001 overview
  • Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) model
  • Benefits and limitations of formal H&S management systems

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Element 2 continued

  • Effective H&S policy (statement, organisation, arrangements)
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Worked examples and exercises

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 3 — Managing Risk Pt 1

  • H&S culture indicators
  • How culture influences performance
  • Improving H&S culture
  • Human factors

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Element 3 continued

  • Individual, job and organisational factors
  • Behaviour-based safety
  • Risk perception and attitudes to risk

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 3 — Managing Risk Pt 2

  • 5-step risk assessment process
  • Hierarchy of control (ERIC-PD)
  • Suitable and sufficient risk assessments

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Element 3 continued

  • Managing change (MOC) and H&S impacts
  • Safe systems of work (SSoW)
  • Permit-to-work (PTW) systems — role, function and operation

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 3 Pt 3 + Element 4

  • Emergency procedures — planning, training and testing
  • First-aid provision
  • Incident investigation: why, how, RIDDOR/ILO reporting

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Element 4 — H&S Monitoring

  • Active vs reactive monitoring
  • Inspections, audits and reviews
  • Performance indicators
  • GIC2 briefing and risk assessment template walkthrough

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Elements 5 & 6 — Health Hazards

  • Physical hazards: noise, vibration, radiation, temperature
  • Stress, fatigue, bullying
  • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) — causes and risks

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Elements 5 & 6 continued

  • Manual handling risk assessment
  • Display screen equipment (DSE)
  • Control measures for health hazards — practical examples

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 7 — Chemical & Biological

  • Chemical hazard forms
  • Routes of entry into the body
  • Biological hazards and health effects

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Element 7 continued

  • COSHH / equivalent national regulations
  • Hierarchy of controls
  • Health surveillance and occupational exposure limits

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Element 8 — General Workplace

  • Welfare facilities
  • Working environment: space, lighting, temperature, ventilation
  • Housekeeping and waste management

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Elem. 8 continued + Element 9

  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Work at height — risk assessment and prevention
  • Work equipment — legal requirements, inspection and maintenance

• AM 09:00–12:30

  Elem. 9 continued + Element 10

  • Machinery hazards
  • Guarding methods
  • Fire triangle
  • Fire risk assessment process

• PM 13:30–17:00

  Elem. 10 continued + Element 11

  • Fire detection, alarm, suppression and evacuation
  • Electrical hazards
  • Safe use of electricity: PAT, isolation, RCDs

• Full Day 09:00–17:00

  Revision, Mock & GIC1 Briefing

  • Full syllabus recap (Elements 1–11)
  • Timed mock scenario with tutor feedback
  • GIC1 open-book technique
  • GIC2 guidance
  • Exam-readiness checklist

The GIC1 is a scenario-based open-book digital assessment completed at home. You are given a realistic workplace scenario followed by tasks that test your ability to apply health and safety knowledge — not just recall it. Expected working time: 5 hours. You receive a 24-hour window (starting 11 am UK time) to accommodate different time zones and personal commitments.

How to prepare

• Revise thoroughly — open-book does not mean no preparation. You need to find information fast.
• Organise your notes so you can locate any topic in seconds during the assessment.
• Complete wider reading before exam day — focus on applying knowledge, not researching basics.
• Download a sample question paper from the NEBOSH website and attempt it under timed conditions.
• Set up a comfortable, quiet space: desk, good lighting, clock (UK time), refreshments.
• Plan your time: draft → reflect → amend → submit. Leave a buffer before the 24-hour deadline.

Understanding the scenario — ‘show, not tell’

NEBOSH scenarios use a ‘show, not tell’ principle. Rather than stating a problem directly, indicators are embedded — attitudes, behaviours, decisions — and you must make a logical inference. Support every inference with a specific scenario reference. Simply copying a sentence earns no marks.

• Manager says targets must be hit — ‘don’t care how it’s done’

  Management prioritises production over H&S → negative safety culture

• Manager rarely seen in the workplace

  Poor management commitment → weak safety leadership

• Site visitor not added to emergency roll-call

  Absent or ineffective visitor management procedure

What earns marks

‘Explain…’

Tell the examiner clearly what you know, linked to the scenario.

‘Comment on…’

Detailed analysis of positives AND negatives with scenario evidence.

‘Evaluate…’ / ‘How effective…’

Balanced judgement — what works and what does not — supported by scenario evidence.

‘Scenario only’ note

Draw exclusively from the scenario — no generic/theoretical answers.

‘Support your answer’ note

Combine theoretical knowledge with specific evidence from the scenario.

Quality, not quantity. An 8-mark question needs 8 unique valid points. Repeating the same point differently earns 0 extra marks. Stay within +10% of recommended word count.

Permitted and not permitted

• Refer to your own course and revision notes

  Communicate with other learners about the assessment

• Look up textbooks, journals and online sources

  Seek help from family, friends or proof-readers

• Include a reference list of all sources used

  Receive assistance from your LP during the assessment

• Work at your own pace within the 24-hour window

  Submit late — late submissions are not accepted or marked

After submitting your GIC1 digital assessment you must attend a closing interview arranged by NCB to confirm the submitted work is genuinely yours. If you do not attend, your mark will not be awarded.

Format

Video link (Zoom/Skype) or in-person, arranged by NCB

ID required

Passport, driving licence, or national identity card

Room

Private; interviewer must see the door. No notes or devices visible.

Persons present

You only (exceptions for dependants or approved reasonable adjustments)

Questions

Based on your submitted answers — demonstrate your understanding

Marked?

No mark given; identity/authenticity check only

If concerns arise

Interviewer notifies NEBOSH → possible second interview or investigation

Malpractice

• Plagiarism

  Using text or ideas without referencing, or submitting another person’s work as your own.

  Penalty points; possible ban from future NEBOSH assessments.

• Collusion

  Two or more learners producing the same/similar submission, or sharing work.

  Both parties liable; severe sanctions up to permanent ban.

• Impersonation

  Asking another person to complete all/part of the assessment on your behalf.

  Detected at closing interview; results cancelled and malpractice recorded.

• AI-generated content

  Submitting AI-generated text as your own without acknowledgement.

  Treated as plagiarism under NEBOSH’s malpractice policy.

GIC2 is a practical risk assessment of a real workplace — ideally your own. It tests your ability to identify hazards, evaluate risks and recommend suitable controls across Elements 1–11. Pass mark: 60/100. GIC2 is Pass or Refer only — it does not affect your overall qualification grade.

The 5-step risk assessment approach

1. 1

   Identify hazards

   Walk around and identify all significant hazards (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial). Cover Elements 5–11.

2. 2

   Who might be harmed

   Consider all persons at risk: employees, contractors, visitors, members of the public, vulnerable groups.

3. 3

   Evaluate risks and decide on precautions

   Assess likelihood and severity. Note existing controls. Evaluate adequacy. Apply hierarchy of control (Eliminate → Substitute → Engineering → Administrative → PPE).

4. 4

   Record findings

   Complete the NEBOSH risk assessment template. Include hazard, persons at risk, existing controls, risk rating, and recommended additional controls. Learner number on every page.

5. 5

   Review and update

   Describe how and when the risk assessment should be reviewed and triggers for early review.

Marking criteria

Hazard identification

Accurately named hazards relevant to the real workplace. Generic hazards score less.

Persons at risk

Named or described clearly — not just ’employees’.

Existing controls

Realistic controls actually observed. Do not invent controls that don’t exist.

Evaluation of controls

Justify whether existing controls are adequate, with brief reasoning.

Recommended additional controls

Specific, practicable recommendations following the hierarchy of control.

Presentation

Logical structure, learner number on every page, submitted as PDF, correctly named.

Submission checklist

1. Register with NCB for a specific submission date. Use a personal email — company firewalls may block NEBOSH communications.
2. Log in early — ~8 working days before deadline you receive login details. Change password and explore the platform.
3. File format: PDF only. Handwritten assessments (including photos/scans) are not accepted. Max 100 MB.
4. Naming: Practical Assessment [Learner No.] [Initials] [Month] [Year]
5. Remove any reference to NCB from the document. Include your NEBOSH learner number on every page.
6. Declare the work is your own and agree to Turnitin EULA before clicking ‘Save changes’.
7. Submit early — high traffic near deadlines may cause delays.
8. Confirm receipt — a green confirmation appears on-screen. Keep a copy until results are declared.
9. Results issued up to 60 working days from assessment date, sent to your registered email.

There are two assessments, one for each unit. Unit GIC1 is a scenario-based assessment completed at home (24 hours). Unit GIC2 is a practical risk assessment in your workplace (minimum 60/100 to pass). Both must be passed within 5 years.

GIC1 is completed online from home. GIC2 is completed in your workplace or another suitable workplace. There is no requirement to attend an assessment centre.

This is a 10-day virtual/e-learning training course followed by the required assessments.

Yes – the NEBOSH Certificate is identical regardless of the study mode used.

A Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety is the next progression step. You can also study IOSH Managing Safely, ISO 45001 Lead Auditor, or specialist CPD courses.

You can book a resit with the NCB exams team. NEBOSH will provide a mark breakdown and, for GIC2, examiner feedback to help you improve before resubmitting.

No. The Certificate can be studied by learners with no prior health and safety experience.