Frequently Asked Questions

The digital assessment has been introduced as an assessment on some of our Certificate level qualifications. In some cases, this has replaced an in-person, invigilated exam. 

Please see our Qualifications page to find full details for your qualification, this will include the latest information for any assessments you will need to complete. Your Learning Partner will be able to help you prepare and will register you for any assessments. 

Upcoming assessment dates and the results dates can be found here: Digital assessments.

Sittings for NG1/IG1 are now available monthly. But please note that language options (Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish) are only available quarterly. 

Only learners who have completed their studies with a NEBOSH accredited Learning Partner can be registered to a NEBOSH assessment, this includes digital assessments. 

Our “Where to Study” section will help you find a NEBOSH accredited Learning Partner and you can visit our Choosing a NEBOSH Learning Partner page for more information.

The digital assessments for certificate-level qualifications are designed to not only test what learners know but what they can do with this knowledge. We are looking to see application of learning.

We will describe a workplace scenario including its normal operational activities and worker behaviour. Learners will then be asked a series of questions and we want answers to reflect the workplace given. It is therefore vital that learners take the time to read and understand the scenario.

An example question might be:  

How could you improve consultation with the workforce in the organisation described?

If learners answer by simply reproducing text from course notes, this will not be enough to pass. We need learners to demonstrate they can apply knowledge by providing answers to the scenario given and, in some cases, specific evidence will be required to support answers.

Registered learners will receive an email with instructions on how to access our digital assessment platform ahead of their assessment. Assessments will be downloaded from the platform and you will log back in to upload your completed assessment to the platform. 

Please note: We can only accept assessments in PDF format. From September 2023 onwards, assessments submitted in file formats other than PDF will be declined.

Further information about the platform and assessment submissions can be found in the Technical Learner Guide on our Resources page: Resources to help you prepare.

There is a misconception that digital assessments are easier than invigilated paper-based examinations. The questions asked in NEBOSH's digital assessments are different and will require learners to show greater levels of understanding. We use a scenario-based assessments and the questions require the learner to apply their knowledge to the scenario described, and demonstrate analysis and critical thinking to produce a good answer. These questions will all be linked to the syllabus and learning outcomes.

The pass mark for the certificate-level digital assessment is 45. 

Yes. For any unit where a digital assessment has been introduced, this will be a permanent change. 

We worked closely with our regulator, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, before introducing open book examinations and it required us to demonstrate that NEBOSH’s underpinning approach, principles and rigour would be maintained.

Following the first digital assessment in August 2020, we completed a review and quality checks to ensure the assessment pass standard is equivalent to the previous assessment. This is best practice for a new assessment and is also required by our regulator.

As members of the health and safety community we know how important it is that our qualification holders have the skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on the workplace. One of our priorities is to uphold the rigour and recognition people have come to expect from NEBOSH over its 40-year history. The changes we are making do this and will enable people to gain the qualification they have worked hard for, safely.

NEBOSH's Digital Assessments are assessed using an open book format. This type of examination assesses the same learning outcomes and assessment criteria as an invigilated paper-based examination. Unlike an invigilated paper-based examination, learners can have access to textbooks and the internet and are expected to reference any external sources used. The questions asked will test the learner’s ability to analyse, evaluate and apply their learning. The assessments are accessed and submitted online. 

Results will be issued 50 working days from the examination date and sent to the email address registered to your learner record.

Please add [email protected] to your safe-senders list to help your results email reach you. This is particularly important for gmail.com and googlemail.com email addresses as these have previously had problems with rejected emails.

Results are sent out via email in the days leading up to results day. This means that some people may receive theirs early, but everyone will still receive their result on or before results day as planned. The time you receive your result is not a reflection of a pass or refer mark, so please do not worry that you have been referred if you receive your result later than a friend or classmate.  

We recommend that you keep a copy of your original submission until your results are declared should there be any technical difficulties.

Congratulations!

If you have passed AND now passed all units of your qualification, then we will print your certificate within 20 working days. Your certificate will then be sent to your Learning Partner who will distribute it to you. 

The pass mark for the certificate-level digital assessment is 45. 

NEBOSH does not currently provide feedback on your assessment performance. We do however have a number of different documents to assist learners in making sure they are fully prepared for any future assessments, they can all be downloaded from our Digital assessments resources page and include:

• Guidance documents
• A sample paper
• A learner performance report

This would be in addition to any specific preparation that your Learning Partner provides.

We offer an Enquiry About Result (EAR) service for learners who believe their mark does not reflect their performance. There are two types of EAR available:

Enquiry Type 1: clerical check
This ensures all parts of the submission have been marked and that marks have been totalled correctly.

Enquiry Type 2: re-mark
This is a re-mark of the script by a different Examiner, who is a higher level than the original examiner. This type of enquiry does not include a clerical check.

All Enquiry about Results (EAR) requests should be made directly to NEBOSH within one month of the results issue date. Full payment must be made before the EAR request can be processed. Further information can be found in our EAR Policy. 

See our upcoming assessments online; Digital Assessment Dates. Please speak to your Learning Partner to register for the next convenient date.

We have produced a number of different documents to assist learners in making sure they are fully prepared for any future assessments, they can all be downloaded from our Digital Assesments resources page and include:

• Guidance documents
• A sample paper
• A learner feedback document

This would be in addition to any specific preparation that your Learning Partner provides.

We have a huge range of qualifications – whether you want to develop certain skills – such as environmental management, leadership or incident investigation – progress to higher qualifications or develop sector specific knowledge, we have a qualification for you! Please visit our Qualifications pages to read about all of our other qualifications. 

The level is the same – the syllabus and learning outcomes are the same and we have worked with our regulator, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, to ensure the assessment demands are equivalent.

We have introduced closing interviews to ensure that the work a learner submits is their own. The interviewer will have a discussion with the learner about their answers to check familiarity and understanding. The learner’s photographic identification will also be checked during the interview.

When learners submit their open book examination, they will also have to provide a Own Work Statement to confirm that the work submitted is their own. This will confirm that you have understood and abided by our rules on plagiarism and collusion.

Further detail is available in the Learner Guide, find the latest version on our Resources page.

NEBOSH has a strict and rigorous approach to plagiarism and collusion – it ensures fairness for all our learners and reassurance for the organisations who employ our qualification holders.

Because our examinations are scenario based and ask questions such as What? Could? How? Why? and Where? learners won’t be able to Google the answer or cut and paste from a text book. Learners will need to show they really understand the topic. 

We also expect that you do not collude or share answers with other learners. We have a numerous steps in place to deter and detect malpractice; for further details please read our malpractice policy. A dedicated web page about malpractice in digital assessments is available here: Plagiarism and collusion. 

We have worked closely with our regulator, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, to maintain the rigour and recognition people have come to expect from NEBOSH over its 40-year history. The new assessment assesses the same learning outcomes to the same level as the invigilated paper-based examination. 

Digital assessments are not an easy option. Answering the questions well requires much more than just copying information. We will be testing our learners’ ability to problem solve and apply learning to a scenario that is unfamiliar to them.

Many universities use open book formats to assess learning including Cambridge University, University of Oxford, University of Warwick and Imperial College London.

We know that learners are always excited to celebrate their success. If you are successful in your assessment and complete a NEBOSH qualification please help to keep your achievements secure - if you want to share your certificate or results letter online or on social media please remember to cover up personal information such as:

• Learner number
• Address
• Master log certificate number

By taking a moment to cover this information you can prevent fraudulent use of your data.

If you suspect malpractice or fraudulent activity please report it to us via email at [email protected]. We take malpractice very seriously and follow up all allegations raised with us.

The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged us to bring forward our plans to offer remote and online assessments for our full range of qualifications and courses. 

The introduction of our first digital assessment in August 2020 was the first step of the transformation and this means digital assessments have been introduced for some units.

Please speak to your Learning Partner regarding registration for an examination procedures for any exams.