The NEBOSH National General Certificate is aimed at H&S advisers, line managers, supervisors, and anyone moving into a workplace H&S role. There are no formal entry requirements, but NEBOSH recommends English to roughly IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. Most learners study alongside full-time work.
The NEBOSH General Certificate is the UK’s flagship Level 3 RQF qualification in occupational health and safety. Formally the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, it’s held by over 200,000 H&S professionals worldwide and is the academic credential employers list as preferred when hiring for workplace H&S roles across virtually every UK industry.
The NEBOSH General Certificate course is structured around two units. GNC1 (renamed GNC1 from February 2026) covers the principles of H&S management — why we manage H&S, how management systems work, managing risk and monitoring performance. GNC2 (renamed GNC2 from February 2026) is a workplace-based risk assessment — applying the technical content to your own organisation. KeyOstas teaches the latest 2026 GNC1 + GNC2 syllabus with the new points-based GNC2 marking and 60% pass mark.
You can take the NEBOSH General Certificate online as a live virtual classroom course (£1,141 +VAT), face-to-face in our UK training centres (£1,535 +VAT), or as in-company training (price on application). The qualification is set by NEBOSH, the UK’s leading H&S examination board, and KeyOstas is a NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner. Want to know how much the NEBOSH General Certificate costs in your specific case? See the three learning options or talk to a tutor for an in-company quote.
The qualification is made up of two units (previously NG1 and NG2 under the 2018 spec):
For the full unit-by-unit syllabus and topic breakdown, read our NEBOSH National General Certificate guide.
After the General Certificate
Most candidates do the NEBOSH General Certificate first, then add a sector-specific specialism on top. Whichever route you take, your General Certificate stays the recognised academic foundation employers list as preferred.
Specialist Level 3 fire-safety qualification — FSC1 + FSC2 covering risk assessment, evacuation and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Explore Fire →Specialist Level 3 construction H&S qualification — Unit CN1 covering CDM 2015 duty-holder roles, working at height, contractor management and Building Safety Act 2022 competence.
Explore Construction →Level 6 qualification — recognised by IOSH for Graduate Membership (GradIOSH) and the established route to Chartered (CMIOSH) status.
Explore Diploma →A scenario-based open-book examination for GNC1 with a short closing interview, and a practical workplace risk assessment for GNC2.
Every KeyOstas tutor is an active occupational H&S practitioner with real cross-sector H&S experience to bring to the room.
Structured tutor support through the ~3,000-word workplace risk assessment — from scoping to submission.
The numbers
Chris Daniels, Health and Safety Adviser
Top-tier accreditation status with NEBOSH — the recognised mark for centres meeting the highest delivery and learner-outcome standards.
One of NEBOSH’s longest-standing accredited centres — centre number 009, trading and training since 1984.
Across our NEBOSH portfolio. We invest in tutor coaching, mock papers and GNC2 walk-throughs to keep that number high.
Need to spread the cost? Pay in 3 interest-free instalments at checkout with Klarna.
We run our NEBOSH General Safety courses across three venues so you can pick the location that suits you — head office in Southam plus regional centres in Bromsgrove and Manchester Airport.
Our flagship classroom centre. Tutor-led GNC1 + GNC2 delivery, free parking, lunch and refreshments included.
Hotel-based classroom delivery for learners across the Midlands. On-site parking and catering included.
A convenient northern delivery venue for NEBOSH General Certificate delivery. Close to motorway and rail links.
FAQ
The NEBOSH General Certificate (formally the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety) is the UK's flagship Level 3 RQF health and safety qualification. Held by 200,000+ H&S professionals, it covers H&S management systems, risk assessment and workplace hazard control across two units: GNC1 (knowledge) and GNC2 (practical risk assessment).
It's a Level 3 qualification on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It's the UK's most widely held H&S qualification and the standard academic credential for moving into a workplace H&S role.
Around 110-125 study hours total. Classroom delivery typically runs over 10 days plus revision time. Live virtual delivery is similar. E-learning typically takes 6-12 months alongside a normal job. You have a 5-year window to complete both GNC1 and GNC2.
Cross-sector H&S roles including H&S Adviser, H&S Officer, H&S Manager, EHS Coordinator and SHEQ Manager. The General Certificate is preferred or required by employers across virtually every UK industry — manufacturing, construction, healthcare, logistics, public sector, retail and hospitality.
GNC1 (Management of H&S): 4 elements covering why we manage H&S, how H&S management systems work, managing risk, and H&S monitoring and measuring. GNC2 (Risk Assessment): 7 elements covering physical/psychological health, musculoskeletal, chemical/biological agents, general workplace issues, work equipment, fire and electricity.
GNC1: 24-hour open-book scenario exam — around 4-5 hours of actual writing time, submitted via the NEBOSH portal. GNC2: a workplace-based risk assessment of approximately 3,000 words, applied to your own organisation. Pass mark is 45% on each unit. Results in approximately 50 working days.
No formal entry requirements. NEBOSH recommends English at IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. The General Certificate is suitable for anyone moving into a workplace H&S role — no prior H&S knowledge is required.
NEBOSH refers (rather than fails) candidates who don't reach the standard. Referrals can resit at the next NEBOSH-set sitting on payment of the resit fee. Most KeyOstas learners pass first time — our pass rate is 85%+ across NEBOSH qualifications.
Yes — on completion you become eligible for IOSH Associate Membership (AIOSH). It's also the underpinning qualification for the TechIOSH (Technical Member of IOSH) pathway and is recognised by IIRSM for Member-grade entry.
Choose the NEBOSH General Certificate if you want a recognised academic Level 3 qualification — employers list it as preferred for H&S roles. Choose IOSH Managing Safely if you're a line manager who needs day-one awareness-level competence and not an academic credential. Most candidates who do IOSH MS later move on to NEBOSH General.
NEBOSH General Certificate online cost at KeyOstas is £1,141 +VAT for live virtual delivery; classroom delivery is £1,535 +VAT, and POA for in-company training. All prices include NEBOSH registration, both GNC1 and GNC2 exam fees, study materials and tutor support. See Learning Options for full breakdown.
Yes — KeyOstas delivers the NEBOSH General Certificate fully online via live virtual classroom alongside our face-to-face option in Southam. The online route covers identical GNC1 + GNC2 content, the same NEBOSH-set assessments and the same outcomes as classroom delivery.
Yes. NEBOSH is teaching a refreshed syllabus from 2 February 2026, with first assessments from 4 March 2026. Unit codes have been renamed: GNC1 → GNC1 and GNC2 → GNC2 (international equivalents IG1/IG2 → GIC1/GIC2). The biggest practical change is on Unit 2: GNC2 now uses points-based marking with a 60% pass mark (up from met/not met) and is submitted via the online NEBOSH Assessment Platform. KeyOstas teaches the latest 2026 GNC1 + GNC2 syllabus.
Most candidates add a sector-specific specialism: the NEBOSH Fire Certificate for fire-safety roles, the NEBOSH Construction Certificate for construction H&S, or progress to the NEBOSH Diploma (Level 6) for chartered status (GradIOSH/CMIOSH).
The NEBOSH General Certificate is RQF Level 3 — equivalent to A-Level. It assumes no prior H&S knowledge but requires real study time (around 80–120 hours total). The current first-time pass rate sits at roughly 70–85% across UK providers. With KeyOstas tutor support and the open-book scenario format of GNC1, most learners pass first time.
You can resit either GNC1 or GNC2 independently — you don't have to retake the whole qualification. NEBOSH resit fees are typically £157 per unit (set by NEBOSH, separate to course tuition). Resits run on the next available NEBOSH-set sitting (Feb / May / Aug / Nov). KeyOstas offers free tutor catch-up sessions ahead of any resit booked through us.
Speak to a senior NEBOSH tutor about your situation, study mode and start dates.
Or talk to a tutor: 0330 056 9534
Last reviewed: April 2026 by KeyOstas senior tutors.
