One of the most popular and sought-after Health & Safety qualifications has been updated for 2020, with the input of over 3,000 leading expert and organisations.

The NEBOSH General Certificate is held by approximately 300,000 across the globe and is one of the most recognised qualifications in the health and safety industry. The awarding body has refreshed the syllabus, aiming to represent what the role of a health and safety professional is in the modern workplace and placing a higher emphasis on risk management.

So, if you are thinking of taking the NEBOSH General Certificate in the future, or have already booked your place for next year, here is everything you need to know about the changes that are taking place.

What has changed about the course structure?

The course structure has been updated to be a more holistic approach for obtaining the NEBOSH General Certificate qualification. Emphasis will now be placed on the practical application of the knowledge learnt, rather than the evidence of the knowledge through controlled examinations. The new syllabus now has two units:

NGC1 – Management of Health and Safety – One 2 hour written examination)

NGC2 – Risk Assessment (work based practical application)

Will the course be the same length?

Now the qualification has been streamlined, the new specification recommends 113 hours of learning, instead of the previous 133 hours on the previous syllabus. See below for the full breakdown of the recommended assessment and self-study hours:

Kentec Training will still incorporate the additional directed study support such as the revision and mock exam day into the syllabus to support learners. The number of days will remain at 10 across the NGC1 and NGC2 and the number of course dates will remain the same for the new syllabus.  

Is the course assessment changing? How will I be assessed?

Along with the syllabus, the assessment for the NEBOSH General Certificate has also been updated. Learners will now take one question paper to assess their knowledge, with the practical risk assessment assessing their capabilities in their own work environment. This holistic approach will ensure learners can appropriately evidence their learning, apply it to a real-life workplace and instantly add value to their employers and colleagues.

I have already passed the NEBOSH General Certificate, is my qualification still valid?

Yes! Once you have attained your qualification it cannot be retracted and will still be valid.

NEBOSH have released a short two-minute video to inform potential learners about the changes that are coming in 2020.  

Kentec Training will be running the new syllabus from January 2020.