NEBOSH General Certificate Exams

The NEBOSH General Certificate is assessed in a two-step process:

• NG1/IG1: An online open book exam (OBE) and supporting closing interview
• NG2/IG2: A workplace-based practical risk assessment

You need to pass both assessments to achieve your qualification.

The NG1/IG1 exams are undertaken on the NEBOSH exam portal; while for the NG2/IG2 assessments, learners will use a provided template and all assessments are submitted to Astutis by email.  

Please note: For any assessments taken after 1st August 2023, all assessments must be submitted in PDF format only. 

You can find further details on the OBE exams in the NEBOSH Guide here:

OBE Learner Guide

Remember, you need to register for your NEBOSH General Certificate exam at least 5 weeks before your chosen exam date.

NG1/IG1 Open Book Exam Dates

NG2/IG2 Practical Assessment Submission Dates

Disclaimer: Please select your dates carefully, your exam registration cannot be cancelled or transferred after the registration deadline has passed.

NEBOSH General Certificate Open Book Exam Process

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.

Please note: For any assessments taken after 1st August 2023, all assessments must be submitted in PDF format only.

Exam Day

Your open book exam paper will be available from 11:00 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 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.

NG2/IG2 Practical Assessment

The NG2/IG2 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 incident.

You can take as long as you need on your assignment. NEBOSH recommend around three hours. This should allow you to show your understanding and complete a good quality risk assessment. The three hours are for guidance only; 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 submitted by email to neboshassessment@astutis.com and we will then submit for marking.

You can find further guidance on the NG2/IG2 practical assessment here in our blog:

NG2/IG2 Guidance

Your NEBOSH General Certificate Exam Results

Results for your exam paper should be emailed to you within 50 working days of your exam date. This is sent directly from NEBOSH. Your full qualification will not be complete until you pass your NG2 practical assessment.

Your certificate will arrive in the post 6-8 weeks after your notification of results.

Exam Re-sits

If you have had a referral on a NEBOSH General Certificate exam, don't worry!

Our exam advisor can provide you all the useful information you need to re-sit your exam and offer useful resources to help you prepare.

A re-sit exam is £230 GBP (+VAT).

Course Extensions

Online learners have 12-months access to the NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety materials via the Astutis LMS.

If purchasing the exam with the course, online learners have 12-months from the point of purchase to book and sit their exams.

Learners may purchase a course extension which includes the new NEBOSH exam fee if they are unable to complete their studies in the 12-months.

This extension must be purchased before the elapse date.