If that’s all you needed, stop reading and go book. If you want the full picture — including how to prepare, what happens if you fail, and what the exam actually feels like — keep going.
The IOSH Working Safely end-of-day assessment is made up of two parts, both sat on the same day as the training, usually immediately after the final module.
The questions are designed to test understanding rather than memorisation. You won’t be asked to recite legislation word-for-word. You’ll be asked whether a described situation is a hazard or a risk, what the right response is to a near-miss, or which control measure sits highest in the hierarchy. All of it is covered during the day — see our IOSH Working Safely syllabus walkthrough for exactly what’s taught in each module.
The hazard-spotting exercise is where the course earns its keep. If you’ve paid attention during Module 3 (Identifying Common Hazards) you’ll find it genuinely satisfying — it’s a chance to apply the framework in front of you, and most delegates enjoy it.
The written exam pass mark is 80%. The number of questions varies slightly depending on the paper your provider uses, but the pass proportion is always the same.
The hazard-spotting exercise is marked pass/fail based on whether the delegate identifies a reasonable proportion of the hazards in the scene and can articulate sensible controls.
To pass the course overall, you need to pass both parts.
The pass rate for IOSH Working Safely is consistently very high across approved providers. Most delegates pass on the day, first time.
Two reasons it’s so high:
If you’ve attended the day and paid reasonable attention, you will almost certainly pass. The small number of people who don’t are usually those who have struggled with the reading-and-writing element rather than the safety content — which is something a good training provider can support with, if flagged in advance.
If a delegate doesn’t pass the multiple-choice exam on the day, most approved providers — including KeyOstas — offer a free re-sit, either later the same day if time permits or at a mutually convenient time afterwards. There’s usually no additional fee for a first re-sit.
If a delegate doesn’t pass the hazard-spotting exercise, the trainer will typically go through the scene with them to pick out what they missed, and re-test on a different scene.
It’s rare for someone to fail the course entirely. In the handful of cases where it does happen, it’s almost always resolved with a short re-cap session rather than requiring the whole day to be repeated.
Honestly, the best preparation is to turn up rested, pay attention, and ask questions if anything is unclear.
Things that help:
Things that don’t help:
Most delegates describe the exam as “easier than expected”. The multiple-choice questions feel like a recap of the day rather than a test. The hazard-spotting exercise is usually the more enjoyable part — it’s active, it’s practical, and it’s the first time you get to apply what you’ve learned to something concrete.
The total assessment time is 30 minutes. Most people finish each part well inside the allocated time.
Yes. When IOSH Working Safely is delivered live online (via Microsoft Teams or Zoom), the exam is delivered through the same platform. The multiple-choice section is typically done via an online form; the hazard-spotting exercise uses a shared image on screen. The pass mark, format, and pass rate are identical to the in-person version. Our virtual vs in-company IOSH training guide has more detail on how the two formats compare in practice.
No, by any reasonable measure. It’s pitched at awareness level for delegates with no prior safety training, and the pass rate is typically 95%+ across the industry.
No. Everything you need to pass is covered on the day. Pre-course revision is unnecessary and, if anything, counter-productive — the trainer will teach things in a specific structure that works.
Lifetime. There’s no expiry date on the certificate. IOSH recommends a refresher every three years to keep knowledge current, but there’s no legal or contractual expiry.
Managing Safely is longer — a more substantial multiple-choice paper plus a practical risk-assessment project — and more technically demanding. See our IOSH Working Safely vs Managing Safely comparison for the full breakdown.
Yes. Let your training provider know in advance — extra time, coloured overlays, or a reader can usually be arranged. It makes no difference to the certificate.
No — IOSH keeps the question bank confidential so that the exam stays meaningful. You’ll get your result and feedback on the day, and your certificate shortly afterwards.
If you’re ready to put a team through it, you can book IOSH Working Safely as a one-day in-company course at your premises or as a live virtual classroom. Get in touch and we’ll handle the exam, marking, and certification in-house — you’ll get a full all-inclusive quote back from us quickly.
KeyOstas is an IOSH-approved training provider. All of our trainers are IOSH-registered and hold active teaching credentials, and we handle exam administration, marking, and certification end-to-end.
