NEBOSH General Certificate Update 2026: What’s Changing, What’s Staying, and What It Means for You

If you’re thinking about taking the NEBOSH General Certificate (either National or International), here’s a helpful breakdown of what’s changing and what it means for you.

NEBOSH regularly reviews its courses to make sure they stay up-to-date and useful for people working in health and safety. In early 2026, the NEBOSH National and International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety got a fresh update — but don’t worry, the core of the qualification you know and trust is still very much there.

What’s Staying the Same?

• The qualification still focuses on the foundations of health and safety — things like hazard identification, risk control, and practical safety management.

• The update is not a total overhaul. Most of the syllabus stayed the same because learners and professionals told NEBOSH that the current content is already highly relevant and valuable.

• Lots of people who’ve taken the certificate say it helped them feel confident to carry out real workplace risk assessments — nearly nine out of ten learners agreed with that!

When the New Version Starts

• February 2, 2026: Training using the updated syllabus begins.

• March 4, 2026: The updated assessments will be available — meaning this is when you’ll start sitting the new format exams.

• August 6, 2026: Final assessment date for the old version. After this date, learners will need to take the updated units.

What’s Changed?

NEBOSH listened carefully to feedback — especially about the practical risk assessment part of the qualification — and made some improvements to how it’s managed and marked.

Here’s what’s different:

🔹 New Names for Units

• Unit 1 (previously NG1/IG1) is now called GNC1 (for National) or GIC1 (for International).

• Unit 2 (NG2/IG2) becomes GNC2 or GIC2.
  Both units still mirror the original two-part structure: one theory-based assessment and one practical risk assessment.

🔹 Submission Changes

• The practical assessment will now be submitted online, just like Unit 1 — via the NEBOSH Assessment Platform.

• You’ll now have 10 working days from your scenario-based assessment date to upload your practical risk assessment.

🔹 New Marking System

• Instead of being marked as simply “met” or “not met,” Unit 2 will now use a points-based system.

• You’ll receive a mark breakdown report showing exactly how your points were awarded — this gives much clearer feedback than before.

• The pass mark for Unit 2 is now 60%.

🔹 Results on the Same Day

• NEBOSH now plans to issue both Unit 1 and Unit 2 results at the same time.

• That means you won’t get Unit 1 results first and Unit 2 later — you’ll get your whole qualification outcome together, 60 working days after your Unit 1 assessment.

• It may take a bit longer to get results, but most Learning Partners felt this approach is easier and more efficient for learners.

Qualification Recognition

Good news — the updated NEBOSH General Certificate still holds the same professional recognition:

✅ Accredited and credit-rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
➡ Placed at SCQF Level 6, which aligns with Level 3 qualifications in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
➡ Qualification holders can still go on to professional memberships like:

• AIIRSM (Associate Member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management)

• AIOSH (Affiliate Member of IOSH — Institution of Occupational Safety and Health)
  And you can still move toward Tech IOSH with the right experience.

What Happens If You’re Already Studying?

Here’s how the transition works:

• If you’re just registered but haven’t sat Unit 2 yet, you’ll move straight to the new specification.

• If you have attempted Unit 2 and were not successful, you’ll stay on the old version but need to complete it by the final assessment date in August 2026.

• If you’ve already completed both units under the old version, you just finish your qualification as usual.

FAQs Learners Ask

Q: What if I failed Unit 2 and am retaking it after March 2026?

➡ You’ll stay on the old specification and have until August 2026 to try again. If you still don’t pass, you’ll move over to the new GNC2/GIC2 unit.

Q: Will I still get feedback on Unit 2?

➡ Yes — with the new points-based marking, you’ll receive a clear breakdown showing how you scored in each part.

Q: Why do I have to wait longer for results?

➡ It’s because both unit results will now be released together — and NEBOSH has confirmed they won’t change the assessment dates themselves.

In Simple Terms

NEBOSH hasn’t reinvented the General Certificate — they’ve refined it. The syllabus still teaches the fundamentals of health and safety, but the way your practical assessment is submitted, marked, and reported is now clearer and learner-friendly. You still get strong professional recognition, and if you’re already studying, you won’t lose progress as long as you complete by the transition deadlines.