National NEBOSH General Certificate

Benefits for Learners 

• Create a strong foundation for a career in health and safety 

• Develop confidence in your role as a health and safety practitioner with key knowledge and skills 

• Learn to recognise and minimise workplace risk so you can safeguard your peers 

Benefits for Employers 

• Improve health and safety culture across your business 

• Increase productivity with less days of absence due to workplace induced accident or illness 

• Demonstrate your commitment to health and safety to both employees and fellow businesses 

Student Approved 

Rated 4.9/5 stars on Trustpilot, our unbeatable service comes from Phoenix’s commitment to providing the best possible learning experience for our course attendees.  

Student Support 

We pride ourselves on offering the best study support in the industry. From our thriving Facebook student community to direct access to our team of experts and top-tier learning materials, we go above and beyond to ensure you have everything you need to succeed in your studies. When you choose Phoenix, you’re never alone on your journey.

The Phoenix Pass Pledge 

Every Phoenix NEBOSH course entitles you to continue studying free of charge if you fail to meet the required standard in examinations. However, this is rarely necessary. Our pass rate for NEBOSH courses is above industry average, with a high number of credits and distinctions. 

Accredited Partner 

Phoenix Health and Safety is a NEBOSH Gold Partner. This accreditation means our NEBOSH course materials, tutors, and learning environments are all stamped with excellence. 

Relevant to every workplace, the NEBOSH National General Certificate is ideal if you are a manager or supervisor and have health and safety management responsibilities. We also recommend this course if you are embarking on a career in health and safety or wish to advance a career in the industry. 

There are no formal entry requirements for this course. However, NEBOSH recommends that learners should reach a minimum standard of English equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0 or higher in IELTS tests.

Unit NG1: Management of Health and Safety 

• Element 1 Why we should manage workplace health and safety. 

• Element 2 How health and safety management systems work and what they look like.   

• Element 3 Managing risk – understanding people and processes

• Element 4 Health and safety monitoring and measuring

Unit NG2: Risk Assessment 

• Element 5 Physical and psychological health. 

• Element 6 Musculoskeletal health. 

• Element 7 Chemical and biological agents. 

• Element 8 General workplace issues. 

• Element 9 Work equipment. 

• Element 10 Fire. 

• Element 11 Electricity. 

By the end of the course, candidates will have developed the skills to:

• Justify health and safety improvements using moral, financial and legal arguments

• Advise on the main duties for health and safety in the workplace

• Help their organisation manage contractors

• Work within a health and safety management system, recognising what effective general policy, organisation and arrangements should look like

• Positively influence health and safety culture and behaviour to improve performance in their organisation

• Do a general risk assessment in their own workplace – profiling and prioritising risks, inspecting the workplace, recognising a range of common hazards, evaluating risks (taking account of current controls), recommending further control measures and planning actions

• Recognise workplace changes that have significant health and safety impacts and effective ways to minimise those impacts

• Develop basic safe systems of work (including taking account of typical emergencies) and knowing when to use permit-to-work systems for special risks

• Take part in incident investigations

• Help their employer to check their management system effectiveness – through monitoring, audits and reviews

The National General Certificate involves a minimum of 68 taught hours and approximately 40 hours of private study and background reading.

• When studied through classroom, virtual classroom or in-house learning, the course is 9 days plus online revision and an online exam.

• When studied through E-learning, we recommend spending between 100 and 120 hours on the course. If you study through this method you will need to book your NEBOSH exam separately.  Students have access to the e-Learning course for 12 months from date of purchase.

The online exams are run by NEBOSH every month. Follow this link to book your NEBOSH exam. 

Our classroom course timings are 09:00-17:00 Monday - Friday.

Study the NEBOSH General Certificate in-person at one of over ten venues across the country, or enjoy tutor-led sessions from your own home by booking a virtual classroom course. Both our in-person and online NEBOSH General Certificate courses come with the Phoenix pass pledge, which means that candidates are entitled to continue studying (free of charge) if they fail to meet the required standard in the examinations. 

You can also study the NEBOSH National General Certificate online through e-Learning, where you'll gain access to our specially designed, interactive course. E-Learning students can study wherever and whenever they please, pausing and resuming their course as they need, allowing for maximum flexibility with their studies.

The NEBOSH National General Certificate course has an assessment for each unit: 

• Unit NG1 - an online, open book exam which candidates will have 24 hours to complete. It requires you to answer a set of questions relating to real-life scenarios. To pass you need to score at least 45 marks.

• Unit NG2 - a practical risk assessment, carried out in the student's workplace. It includes the development of an action plan that can immediately be utilised to improve health and safety practices. You either pass or fail this assessment.

Your grade for the NEBOSH General Certificate is based on the grade you achieve in your NG1 exam:

• Pass: 45-64 marks

• Credit: 65-74 marks

• Distinction: 75+ marks

You still need to pass the NG2 to complete the qualification.

If you are booking the classroom or virtual classroom course, your exam cost will be included within the price. If you are booking on to the e-learning course your exams will be an extra fee and will need to be booked separately. 

Exam dates are set by NEBOSH and can be found on our 'book a NEBOSH exam' page. 

Many people who have passed the NEBOSH certificate progress to studying the NEBOSH National Diploma, which is a degree-level qualification that advances your prospects as a health and safety professional. 

When and how will I receive my NEBOSH General Certificate results?

Results are provided by NEBOSH after completing the course. NEBOSH sends out the results 10-12 weeks after the exams. Your certificates will arrive after the results have been announced.

What happens if I fail the NEBOSH General Certificate assessment?

The Phoenix Pass Pledge will cover your additional studies for the NEBOSH General Certificate, but you retake the exams at your own cost. 

What level are NEBOSH qualifications?

NEBOSH Certificates are level 3, which is equivalent to an A level qualification. NEBOSH Diplomas are level 6, which is equivalent to an Honours Degree.

Are there any entry requirements for the NEBOSH General Certificate?

There are no entry requirements, which makes the NEBOSH Certificate an ideal starting point for your health and safety training. Learners must have a suitable standard of English language to understand and articulate the concepts contained in the syllabus.  

How much does the NEBOSH General Certificate cost?

The NEBOSH General Certificate course costs between £415 and £1630, excluding vat. Our E-Learning course is £415+VAT, the Virtual Classroom course is £1210+VAT and the Classroom Learning course is £1630+VAT for courses outside of London, and 1595+VAT for London courses.

Want to find out more about NEBOSH and our range of Health and Safety courses? Check out our blogs:

• National versus International NEBOSH Courses: Which is right for you?

• What jobs can a NEBOSH Certificate get you?

• How a NEBOSH qualification can help to boost your salary?

• General vs Construction: Which NEBOSH Certificate is right for you?

• How to answer NEBOSH Scenario Based Assessments

• NEBOSH Certificate or Diploma, which is right for you?

New Syllabus Changes 

NEBOSH qualifications are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that the syllabi and assessments remain focused on the knowledge and skills that are needed by health and safety professionals.

The NEBOSH National and International General Certificates in Occupational Health and Safety have been reviewed and updated for 2026. Teaching of the revised syllabus’ will begin on 2^nd February 2026, with the first assessments taking place from 4^th March 2026.

The NEBOSH General Certificate qualifications focus on the fundamental principles that underpin health and safety practice. Feedback during the review process indicated that much of the current syllabus remains fit for purpose, and we have, therefore, made only minor changes. We also found that the NEBOSH National and International General Certificates continue to be highly regarded by learners, with strong endorsement from both successful and unsuccessful candidates. Among successful learners, recommendation rates were exceptionally high - 99% for the International Certificate and 96% for the National Certificate. Their feedback highlighted the certificates' value and relevance; eight in ten found each syllabus element useful or very useful, and nine out of ten felt prepared to carry out a low to medium-level risk assessment.

Assessment changes

The qualifications will continue with two-unit assessments. We listened to the feedback we received regarding the second unit and, as a result, have made some changes to it.
 

• NG1/IG1
  Will be renamed GNC1 and GIC1
  It will continue as a 24-hour scenario-based assessment.

• NG2/IG2
  Will be renamed GNC2 and GIC2
  It will continue as a practical risk assessment with changes to:

  • Submission: the assessment will be submitted by the learner in the same way as unit one, via the online NEBOSH Assessment Platform. The deadline to submit this unit will be 10 working days after the GNC1/GIC1 assessment.

  • Marking: will move from met/not met to a points-based marking system, with a mark breakdown document automatically issued to the learner. The pass mark will be 60%.

  • Results: both units' results will be issued on the same day, 60 working days from the 24-hour scenario-based assessment (GNC1/GIC1). This means that learners will receive the outcome of their whole qualification at the same time.

Recognition

Both the NEBOSH National and International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety will continue to be accredited and credit rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Accreditation. They are listed in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at SCQF Level 6 with 11 SCQF credit points. SCQF Level 6 is comparable to RQF/CQFW Level 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Qualification holders are also entitled to:

• Associate Membership (AIIRSM) of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).

• Affiliate Membership (AIOSH) of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). The qualification also meets the academic requirements for Technical Membership (Tech IOSH) of IOSH with appropriate experience. (Assessments must be taken in the UK to be eligible for IOSH membership).

Key dates

•  7^th January 2026 (today): public announcement of planned update

• 2^nd February 2026: teaching of revised syllabus begins

• 4^th March 2026: first assessments against the revised syllabus and updated unit two assessments

• 6^th August 2026: final assessments against the current syllabus (October 2018 specification).

FAQ and how this change will affect you

I am booked onto a classroom or virtual course

If you are booked onto a classroom or virtual course commencing after the 2nd of February, your course will follow the new syllabus GNC1 and GCN2.

As part of your course your practical exam date will be moved in line with the OBE date.

I am an e-Learning student and have not yet booked an exam sitting before 6^th August 2026.

You will automatically be transferred onto the new syllabus, The materials on the LMS will be updated from the 2^nd February. This will not affect the progress on your course. 

 I have already completed my NG1 or IG1 but not yet completed the practical assessment.

You have 2 options

1.      You can continue with the NG2 on the current syllabus, but this will need to be completed by 6 August 2026

2.     You can choose to transfer and complete the GNC2. Your NG1 pass mark will be transferred and still be counted towards the full qualification. 

 I have sat the NG2 or IG2 but received a refer

You will remain on the current syllabus.

Please book onto an exam date as this will enable you to send in your resubmission. You will need to complete this unit by the 6^th August 2026.  If you do not pass this unit after this date, you will be transferred onto the new syllabus and will be required to sit the GNC2.

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