NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

Covers the foundations of managing health and safety in any organisation, anywhere in the world:

• Why we should manage workplace health and safety (moral, legal, financial reasons)
• How health and safety management systems work, and what "good" looks like
• Managing risk — how people and processes actually behave at work
• Health and safety monitoring, measuring, auditing, and reviewing performance

Assessed by: a scenario-based digital assessment completed at home — you're given 24 hours to complete it — plus a short closing interview about your submission.

A hazard-by-hazard tour of the issues you'll actually meet day to day:

• Physical and psychological health (incl. stress and mental wellbeing)
• Musculoskeletal health and manual handling
• Chemical and biological agents
• General workplace issues — welfare, environment, violence at work
• Work equipment · Fire · Electricity

Assessed by: a practical risk assessment (around 3 hours) in your own workplace, or a suitable alternative if you don't have one — just ask. You'll need at least 60 out of 100 marks to pass, drawing mainly on the topics above alongside a little groundwork from GNC1.

Pass both GNC1 and GNC2 within 5 years of your first assessment to be awarded the certificate. Your overall grade is set by your GNC1 score only:

• Distinction: 75 marks or higher
• Credit: 65–74 marks
• Pass: 45–64 marks

GNC2 doesn't affect your grade, but you must still pass it. If you're referred on either unit, you can resit at the next assessment window — you'll pay the NEBOSH assessment fee again, plus a small admin fee. You can also resit GNC1 even after passing, if you want to try for a higher overall grade.

GNC1/GNC2 assessments run monthly for English language; other languages sit in March, June, September and December. A selection of upcoming dates:

We'll confirm which sitting suits your start date when you book.

Teaching of the revised syllabus began 2 February 2026, with first assessments from 4 March 2026. If you've heard "NG1"/"NG2" — that's the old naming.

• Unit 1 (now GNC1): still scenario-based, open-book — updated content, same format
• Unit 2 (now GNC2): still a practical risk assessment, now submitted online and points-marked (60% pass mark) instead of straight pass/refer
• GNC1 and GNC2 results are now issued together, on the same day
• Final assessments under the old 2018 spec run 5–6 August 2026

A Level 3, Ofqual-regulated UK qualification in occupational health and safety, run by NEBOSH. It's usually shortened to "NEBOSH NGC" or "NEBOSH General Cert." It gives a broad, practical understanding of managing everyday workplace risk and is the most widely held H&S qualification in the UK, with over 250,000 holders worldwide.

NGC is shorthand for National General Certificate. You'll also see the individual units written as GNC1 and GNC2 (previously NG1 and NG2) — GNC1 is the management exam, GNC2 is the practical risk assessment.

No — there are no formal entry requirements. NEBOSH recommends a good standard of written English, roughly IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, since both units involve written analysis and short reports. You also don't need to have completed the NEBOSH Health & Safety at Work Award first — the National General Certificate can be your starting point.

Live online courses are typically taught over two weeks (10 days) plus your assessments. Most learners spend 80–120 hours in total once self-study is included, though the pace can flex — you have up to 5 years from your first assessment to complete both units.

Same qualification, new names, introduced with the 2026 syllabus update. NG1 became GNC1 (the exam), NG2 became GNC2 (the practical). Teaching began 2 February 2026, with first assessments from 4 March 2026.

Two assessments, one per unit, both completed within 5 years of your first attempt. GNC1 is a scenario-based digital assessment done at home, with 24 hours to complete it. GNC2 is a practical risk assessment carried out in a real workplace, marked out of 100 with a 60-mark pass threshold. Your overall grade is set by your GNC1 score only: Distinction 75+, Credit 65–74, Pass 45–64.

Nowhere you have to travel to. GNC1 is completed at home on your own computer, and GNC2 is carried out at your own workplace (or another suitable site if you don't currently have one — just ask us). There's no assessment centre to attend for either unit.

We'd always recommend completing GNC1 first. Your GNC2 practical risk assessment draws mainly on the hazard-specific knowledge from GNC2 itself, but it also leans on a handful of GNC1 topics — so going in GNC1-first sets you up better for the practical.

You can book a resit with the next available assessment window. For GNC1 you'll get a mark breakdown from NEBOSH; for GNC2 you'll get examiner feedback to help you improve before resubmitting. You'll need to pay the NEBOSH assessment fee again, plus a small admin fee — we'll talk you through the process if this happens.

NEBOSH doesn't release past papers for any of its qualifications. You can, however, find examiner reports and a sample question paper on the official NEBOSH website — we also cover exam technique thoroughly as part of the course itself.

Live online starts from £1,495+VAT per person; in-company training for teams is quoted individually — both exclude the £225pp NEBOSH assessment fee. In terms of value, it's the standard entry qualification for Health & Safety Officer, Advisor, and Coordinator roles, and it counts toward Technician membership (TechIOSH) of IOSH.

Health & Safety Officer, EHS Officer, Advisor, Coordinator — and it meets the academic requirements for TechIOSH and AIIRSM membership. Plenty of people also use it simply to take on H&S responsibility within their existing role.

It's foundation-level and achievable without prior experience, but it's a genuine, respected qualification — it needs real study, not just attendance. Pass rates track closely with teaching quality, which is why we keep groups small and hands-on rather than lecture-and-leave.

The National Certificate is based on UK law; the International Certificate is written around ILO standards for organisations working outside the UK or across multiple countries. If you're working in the UK, we'd recommend the National version — it's generally the preferred qualification for UK employers.

Yes — it's exactly the same NEBOSH certificate either way. You can't tell from the certificate itself which format someone studied in, so pick whichever suits you or your team.

It's a Level 3 qualification (RQF), broadly equivalent to A-Level standard in the UK.

No — once you pass, it's yours for life with no renewal needed. That said, health and safety law and best practice keep evolving, so if you hold professional membership (TechIOSH, AIIRSM) you'll likely need to keep up ongoing CPD to maintain it.

The NEBOSH NGC meets the academic requirements for Technician membership (TechIOSH) of IOSH and Associate membership (AIIRSM) of IIRSM. Get in touch if you'd like help working out which membership route fits your career plans.

A specialist NEBOSH certificate (Fire Safety, Construction), a Foundation in Environmental Sustainability, or — with some experience under your belt — the NEBOSH Diploma, the recognised route toward Chartered (CMIOSH) membership of IOSH.