The NEBOSH General Certificate changed on 2 February 2026. The units formerly known as NG1 and NG2 are now GNC1 and GNC2, Unit 2 has moved to a points-based marking system with a published mark scheme, and results for both units now arrive together in a single release. The syllabus content itself is almost untouched. Here is exactly what changed, what did not, and what it means if you are studying now or planning to, based on NEBOSH’s own specification documents and announcements.
One date matters urgently: the old specification’s final assessments take place in early August 2026, with the final NG1 sitting listed for 5 August. If you hold a referred Unit 2 under the old arrangements, this is the last window to resit under the specification you trained on. After that, resits move to the new GNC2.
What actually changed, and when
NEBOSH announced the update on 7 January 2026. Teaching of the revised syllabus began on 2 February 2026, which was also the final registration date for the old specification, and the first assessments under the new arrangements ran from 4 March 2026. The revision replaces the October 2018 specification with a new one dated June 2025.
NEBOSH’s own content review found that most of the 2018 material remains current, so the syllabus changes are deliberately minor. The substance of the 2026 update is in three places: the unit names, the way Unit 2 is marked, and how results are administered.
NG1 and NG2 become GNC1 and GNC2
The rename is part of the 2026 change, not an earlier one. NG1 and NG2 were the October 2018 specification’s unit codes; GNC1 and GNC2 are the June 2025 specification’s codes, taught from February 2026. The international qualification’s units made the same move, from IG1 and IG2 to GIC1 and GIC2. The unit titles themselves are unchanged: Management of Health and Safety, and Risk Assessment.
If your CV, training records or job adverts refer to NG1 and NG2, they describe the same qualification. Anyone who passed under the old codes holds the same NEBOSH General Certificate as a new GNC1 and GNC2 candidate.
The biggest change: GNC2 is now marked out of 100
Under the 2018 specification, the Unit 2 practical risk assessment was marked met or not met against its criteria. From 2026, GNC2 is marked out of 100 with a pass mark of 60. A result of 60 or above is a Pass; 59 or below is a Refer.
NEBOSH has published the full mark scheme, broken down by section: 10 marks for the background and description of the workplace, 65 for the risk assessment itself, 17 for hazard prioritisation, and 8 for communicating results, checking and review. The detail goes further: the hazards you assess must span at least five of the 21 published hazard categories, each column of the risk assessment carries a maximum of 10 marks, and the review timeframes use prescribed immediate, medium term and long term options.
Every learner now automatically receives a mark breakdown with their result, showing where marks were gained and lost. For learners and training providers alike this is a far more transparent assessment than met or not met ever was: you can see the standard before you submit, and you can see exactly why you got the result you did.
Results now arrive together
Previously, each unit’s result was issued separately. Under the new arrangements, both units’ results are released on the same day, 60 working days after the GNC1 exam, so you learn the outcome of the whole qualification at once. NEBOSH’s announcement also states that the Unit 2 submission is made through the NEBOSH Assessment Platform within 10 working days of Unit 1, which ties the two assessments into one connected window rather than two separate events.
More time, and more of the syllabus in the practical
The nominal working time for both assessments increased. The Unit 1 open book exam moves from four hours of guided working time to five, still taken within the familiar 24 hour access window. The Unit 2 practical moves from three hours to a recommended four, and the working time is not restricted.
The practical also now draws on more of the syllabus. Under the 2018 specification, elements 1.1, 1.2 and 3.4 were also assessed in the practical. Under the new specification, elements 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2 and 3 feed into GNC2, which brings contractor management, management systems and safety culture into the risk assessment exercise.
What did not change
Plenty of coverage of the 2026 update overstates it, so it is worth being precise about what stays the same:
- GNC1 keeps its provisional pass mark of 45%.
- The qualification grades are unchanged and are not new: Distinction at 75 and above, Credit at 65 to 74, Pass at 45 to 64, based on the GNC1 mark.
- The level is unchanged: RQF Level 3, SCQF Level 6, with the same unit credit values.
- The open book exam format and the closing interview both remain.
- The syllabus keeps its 11 elements with identical titles.
- The five year completion window is unchanged, and resits remain uncapped.
The transition window closes in August 2026
Both specifications have run concurrently since February 2026, and that window is now closing. The final assessments under the old specification take place in early August 2026, with the final NG1 exam sitting listed by NEBOSH for 5 August. Learners with a referred Unit 2 can resit under the old specification until then; afterwards, any resit is taken as the new GNC2, with the points-based marking above.
If that affects you, the practical advice is simple: check which specification you are registered under with your Learning Partner now, because the choice disappears within days of this article’s publication.
What this means if you are choosing a course now
Everything taught from February 2026 onwards follows the new specification, so a course booked today is a GNC1 and GNC2 course by default. The qualification is the same level, the same open book format and the same syllabus content that employers have recognised for years; what you gain under the new arrangements is a published mark scheme for the practical and a clearer picture of exactly what a passing submission looks like.
KeyOstas has taught the revised specification since it launched in February 2026, in classroom, live virtual and in-company formats. If you are weighing it up, our NEBOSH National General Certificate course page has current dates and prices, our guide to the qualification covers what studying it involves, and our guide to passing the GNC1 open book exam covers the assessment this article describes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the syllabus content different under the 2026 specification?
Barely. NEBOSH’s review found most of the 2018 content still current and made only minor changes. The 11 elements keep identical titles. The real changes are the unit renames, the GNC2 marking system and the results administration.
What is the GNC2 pass mark?
60 out of 100. A mark of 60 or above is a Pass; 59 or below is a Refer, and every learner receives a section by section mark breakdown with their result.
I trained under NG1 and NG2. Is my qualification affected?
No. A General Certificate earned under the 2018 specification is the same qualification. The rename only affects unit codes on assessments taken from 2026 onwards.
Are the Distinction, Credit and Pass grades new?
No. The grade bands existed before the 2026 change and are unchanged: they are based on the GNC1 mark, with Pass from 45, Credit from 65 and Distinction from 75.
Is the General Certificate harder now?
The standard is the same level and the pass marks are comparable, but the GNC2 practical is more structured: it draws on more of the syllabus and is marked against a published scheme. Most learners find a published mark scheme easier to prepare for than met or not met, because the target is visible.
When do results come out under the new arrangements?
Both units’ results are released together, 60 working days after the GNC1 exam date.
Sources: NEBOSH National General Certificate qualification page, NEBOSH’s January 2026 announcement of the updates, the GNC learner guide (June 2025 specification, published January 2026) and the GNC2 guidance for learners and Learning Partners (published August 2025), all at nebosh.org.uk. Checked 28 July 2026.