NEBOSH General Certificate Syllabus Update | What Our Learners Need to Know

NEBOSH has announced updates to the National and International General Certificates in Occupational Health and Safety, with teaching of the revised syllabus beginning on 2 February 2026 and first assessments from 4 March 2026.

The changes are relatively minor, reflecting strong feedback from learners – 99% of International Certificate holders and 96% of National Certificate holders would recommend the qualification. However, there are important adjustments to how the practical risk assessment in unit two is administered and marked.

What's Changing?

Unit Naming

• NG1/IG1 will be renamed GNC1/GIC1.
• NG2/IG2 will be renamed GNC2/GIC2.

Assessments

• GNC1/GIC1: An online open-book exam (OBE) and supporting closing interview
• GNC2/GIC2: A workplace-based practical risk assessment

The GNC1/GIC1 exam and GNC2/GIC2 assessment are both submitted via the NEBOSH Exam Portal. You must pass both of them to achieve your qualification.

GNC1/GIC1 Scenario-Based Open Book Exam

You will be sent login details for the NEBOSH online exam portal 3 days before your exam date. These will arrive by email directly from NEBOSH. You should take this time to get to know the platform and address any challenges before your exam day.

Exam Day

Your open-book exam paper will be available from 11:00am UK time. You will have 24 hours to complete and submit your exam, although it is expected to take you around 3 hours to complete.

Closing Interviews

Closing interviews are held within the weeks following your open-book exam, and you will be able to arrange a suitable date and timeslot for this. The interview should last around 10 minutes and will be completed online through Microsoft Teams.

Don't worry, the interview doesn't impact your marks for your paper. It's simply there to confirm your identity and make sure it was you who completed the exam.

GNC2/GIC2 Practical Risk Assessment

The GNC2/GIC2 tests your ability to apply your learning in a real-world workplace. You will be required to produce a risk assessment of your workplace that identifies a range of hazards, and be able to evaluate the risks accordingly and suggest relevant control measures and planning to prevent incidents. The minimum pass mark is 60%.

The deadline to submit your practical risk assessment is 10 working days from your chosen GNC2/GIC2 exam date. NEBOSH recommends you spend around 4 hours on the risk assessment in this window. This should allow you to show your understanding and complete a quality risk assessment; however, you can take more or less time if you wish. Just remember to submit your final assessment by the submission date you’ve registered against. This is assessment is also submitted via NEBOSH's online assessment platform.  

Results and Certificate Delivery

Both units' results will be issued 60 working days from your chosen assessment date for that specific Unit. This is sent directly from NEBOSH.

If you are successful, your certificate will arrive in the post 6-8 weeks after your notification of results.

Important Dates

• 2 February 2026: Teaching begins on revised syllabus
• 4 March 2026: First assessments under new specification
• 6 August 2026: Final assessments under current (October 2018) specification

What This Means for You

If you haven't started NG2/IG2: You'll move to the new specification.

If you've been referred on NG2/IG2: You'll remain on the current specification with until August 2026 to resubmit. If you don't pass by then, you'll move to the new GNC2/GIC2 assessment.

If you've completed NG2/IG2: You'll remain on the current specification until the final assessment date in August 2026.

Final registrations: February 2026 is the last chance to register for the 2018 specification. Contact us at Astutis to ensure you're registered in time.

Recognition Remains Consistent

Both qualifications maintain their SQA Accreditation at SCQF Level 6 (equivalent to RQF/CQFW Level 3), and certificate holders remain eligible for:

• Associate Membership (AIIRSM) with IIRSM
• Affiliate Membership (AIOSH) with IOSH, and the qualification meets academic requirements for Tech IOSH with appropriate experience

Questions About the Changes?

If you're currently studying for your NEBOSH General Certificate with Astutis, or considering starting your qualification, contact our team to discuss how these updates affect your learning journey.