Examination Remarks from a SHEilds tutor

NEBOSH Examination Remarks

NEBOSH Exam, thoughts from a tutor

Think twice before asking when you don’t pass

Think before requesting examination remarkNEBOSH are a “not-for-profit” charity with the aim of providing a benchmark to measure knowledge and ability of health and safety professionals globally. They are renowned globally as the standard for health and safety experts. Their qualifications are designed, in conjunction with leading authorities and organisations, to meet the high demands of each industry sector. The high standards set out in each qualification are measured by examinations and assessments, these are conducted in stringent conditions ensuring every candidate globally receives an equal opportunity to attain the standard. The stringent quality and robust controls set by NEBOSH, maintain the integrity of the trademark, which provides reassurance to governments, employers and individuals around the globe the confidence of knowing successful NEBOSH candidates are academically competent.

Let us be honest; if something comes easy, it is probably not worth having.

Thousands of candidates undertake and PASS NEBOSH examinations and assessments each year. There are also a number of candidates who do not pass their examinations. There are few greater feelings than the euphoria of successfully achieving something you have worked hard for, the sense of accomplishment is awesome, similarly though, failing at something you have worked hard for can be equally devastating.

These are the same emotions candidates feel when completing their NEBOSH examinations and assessments. While success is great and allows you to progress in your career and ambitions, failing in an examination can feel like the end of the world (especially when you thought you did quite well). During these negative times, it is common to look for someone/something to blame, which is not the optimum way to move forward and gain your qualification.

In the event that you have not passed your examination or assessment, there is hope.

  1. Enquiry About Results (EAR): Where a student has not performed as well as they thought that they would, NEBOSH supports the right of candidates to enquire about a result and to appeal against the outcome of that enquiry. There is a fee payable for this enquiry. Please speak with your course provider for further details.
  2. Re-sit: You can book to re-take your examination (re-sit fees will apply). Students who have submitted an EAR but are also considering retaking the unit are advised to register for the next available examination date following the expected EAR outcome date.

Factors that can affect examination performance (negative and positive).

There are a few common factors that can promote negative examination results, we strongly recommend you are aware of these and address them in advance of attempting your examinations or assessment:

Over Confidence

We find the most common cause of failure are those candidates who think they don’t need to study. They may have many years’ experience, or qualifications or both. However, you are preparing for arguably the most respected health and safety qualification in the world with very specific examinations, looking for very specific responses, if you are not going to study please do not waste your money on sitting the examinations. NEBOSH have published resources available on their website to assist students prepare for their examinations.

Preparation for your examination

Stress, anxiousness and nerves play havoc with candidates on examination day. Speak with your tutor about expectations on the day and ensure you read and understand all the details of the day and get your exam stuff ready well in advance. Also ensure you plan your travel/accommodation/route to the venue well in advance to grant yourself plenty of time and as little stress as possible on the day.

Command Words

You can lose valuable points if you do not answer the question asked in the correct manner, ensure you have been provided with guidance for “Command Words” by your course provider and put some effort into understanding them, this is a very common failure of students. The guide is also available on the NEBOSH website.

Not understanding the “Learning Outcomes”

Your course syllabus is based on “Learning Outcomes”. Your examination will only ask you questions based upon your understanding of these, focus your study.

Poor course notes

Making revision notes as you study will help you absorb the information and give you revision material for later on, however if you don’t put the effort into making comprehensive notes they will be useless or detrimental.

How NEBOSH Marking Remains Impartial

To ensure standards are sustained and marking remains impartial, examinations and practical assignments are randomly marked by external examiners; not employees of NEBOSH or your course tutors. These examiners are health and safety professionals whom have extensive knowledge and experience in the field they are marking. They regularly attend training on how to examine and go to standardisation meetings so they understand the marking schemes.

New examiners have their marking is checked by the NEBOSH Standards Department, and this can include checking by Principal Examiners and Examiner Team Leaders. More experienced examiners get their marking checked randomly at least once a year. When a student requests a remark, this automatically means an examiner’s marking is checked.

About NEBOSH Marking Schemes

NEBOSH marking schemes are fairly strict and the examiners well trained, so the system is as robust as it can be. For all exams, depending on the qualification, there is a marking tolerance of between 3 to 5 marks depending on the qualification. As long as the examiner is within that margin of error then their marking is deemed acceptable. Examiners are given feedback and retraining if issues are identified with their marking.

Examiners mark papers based on strict marking schemes. Students write their own exam answers, submit their own work in practical assignments, and everyone’s work is marked to the same standard. If you are confused by your mark, then speak to your course provider. We’ll do our best to advise you.

Documents supporting this article can be found on the NEBOSH website – www.nebosh.org.uk

  • NEBOSH terms and conditions.
  • NEBOSH EAR guidance.
65 replies
  1. Chetan
    Chetan says:

    Hello There,

    I have scored 40 in IGC1 and IGC2 both exams. I have attempted all the ques and answers were point specific.

    Should I go for reevaluation?

    Plz suggest.

    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Emma Wiles
      Emma Wiles says:

      Hi Chetan,

      For written exams there is a 3 mark tolerance difference in marking so those scoring 42-44 it is recommend to go for a remark but not for those scoring 41 or less.

      The odds of the markers missing so many marks is very low. So for anyone with 42 marks or over we would say go ahead.

      The final decision is still the students and if you wish to pay the remark fee then it is up to you. You will not receive feedback on your score so if you are going for a remark solely for feedback then this would be a waste of time and money as it is no longer provided.

      Reply
    • Emma Wiles
      Emma Wiles says:

      Hi Farhan,

      NEBOSH state that there is a 3 mark tolerance between markers for the written exams so if you score 42 marks or higher in your exam result then NEBOSH do recommend going for an EAR (Enquiry About Results). There is no guarantee that your mark will change, most do not, but if the marks do change then this is by 1-3 marks (either up or down).

      Reply
    • Emma Wiles
      Emma Wiles says:

      Hi,

      The pass mark for the written exams are 45% however NEBOSH do state that there is a 3 mark tolerance for the exams when marking. This means that anyone scoring 42 or above it could be worth going ahead with Enquiry About Results (EAR).

      The final decision is still up to the student but they need to consider the fees involved for an EAR which are now £75 for a full remark and the 40 working day (8 week) reply time for the result.

      Reply
      • Shujaat
        Shujaat says:

        I have 44 in IGC1. I Am going for rechecking. At the same time may I apply for rechecking as well as reappearing? thanks.

        Reply
        • SHEilds Health and Safety
          SHEilds Health and Safety says:

          Hi Shujaat,

          After checking our records, we cannot find your details and it does not appear you are a SHEilds student. We recommend contacting NEBOSH directly – Please find their contact details below:

          Address: NEBOSH, Dominus Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1QW, UK
          Telephone: +44 (0)116 263 4700
          Fax: +44 (0)116 282 4000
          Email: info@nebosh.org.uk

          If you have used alternative personal details to make this comment on the SHEilds website and you are a SHEilds student – All you have to do is contact your tutor or our NEBOSH examinations department and we’ll assist with any arrangements.

          Reply
        • Emma Wiles
          Emma Wiles says:

          Hello Sujaat,

          Thank you for your reply to our blog.

          It is best to register for the next set of exams whilst waiting for your remark result to come through. This ensures that if your remark is not successful, that you are registered for the next set of exams so do not have to wait too long before re-sitting.

          If your remark is successful however, NEBOSH will refund the remark fee along with the exam fee paid for that unit for the next exams.

          I hope this helps.

          Emma Wiles BSc Dip.RSA CMIOSH
          Student Support Manager

          Reply
  2. Ghulam Mujtaba
    Ghulam Mujtaba says:

    I have got good marks in IGC1 ( 65) and GC3(73).But my marks are 41 in GC2.I have attempted GC2 much better than IGC1. I have applied for rechecking of the paper. Would any one advise that, could there be increase in the marks or not
    Thanks Mujtaba

    Reply
    • Emma Wiles
      Emma Wiles says:

      Hi Ghuman,

      If you are scoring under 42 then it is less likely that a remark with the EAR process would cause an increase in marks enough for a pass mark, so it is not generally recommended. However this does mean your marks ‘could’ increase.

      Reply
  3. Dave
    Dave says:

    In the above discussions “mark” and “percentage” seem to be used interchangeably.
    My results (from International Dip unit IA) showed my “mark” of 41 but when I look at the number of “points” per question in the exam the total number of points available is 120 (part A = 60 + part B 3 questions to be answered with 20 points each).
    So is the “mark” out of 120 points (i.e. 34%) or is it a percentage (41%)?

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hi Dave,

      It is true that mark and percentage get used interchangeably. Even NEBOSH use the term “mark” on their result confirmations, when actually it is a percentage. The Diploma is marked out of 120 marks, and the pass mark is 45%. That means you need to score 54 marks out of 120 to pass. Your percentage is 41%, meaning you got 49 individual “marks”. But as stated previously, NEBOSH will call the percentage your “mark”. Probably because it is easier for most people to understand a percentage score, and consistency with the Certificate examinations which are marked out of 100. I’m sorry to hear that you missed out by such a narrow margin. Please get in touch with me by email and we can work on improving your result next time.

      Hope that helps!

      Best regards,
      Will Taylor

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hi Gary, the best advice is to contact NEBOSH directly either by telephone or visiting their website and using the ‘contact us’ information. This is not something we would confirm as we don’t share sensitive or personal data to the public.

      Reply
  4. Muhammad Atif
    Muhammad Atif says:

    Hi
    I got 58 marks in my gc3 practical report exam. Now I am going to resubmit the same report after improvement on it. Could you tell me where should I work on my report because I have made a perfect report as per my knowledge and perception. I hope your answer will help me to get good marks this time.
    Thanks Atif

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      If you are a SHEilds student please email us your student number, full name and when you sat your exams – You can do this by visiting the contact support page and complete the support form. With this information we will be able to locate your markers feedback and send this across to you. This information should assist you in improving for your resubmission.

      Please note though, that you will need to undertake a full new report in the next practical exam period. You cannot simply change the old version and resubmit. NEBOSH guidance states that the practical must be undertaken during the set practical period. SHEilds have been informed by NEBOSH that anything undertaken outside of this period will automatically be voided, so please stick to the guidance.

      Kind regards

      Reply
  5. Dave F
    Dave F says:

    Feeling deflated and absolutely gutted after geting my results today. Yes I know I should be aiming higher so there was less margin of error, but just missed out on the unit A with a 44% mark. (I passed the B with 53%, and previously the C&D). I am going to take a chance for an EAR but looking at many of the responses here and other places I see a LOT of people down-marked rather than upwards. It’s so close that I am going to take the chance, however at this moment in time I’m far from optimistic.

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Dave,
      I’m sorry to hear you missed out so narrowly. Not all marks are downgraded when remarked, so there is always a chance you may receive a pass. You may have included a small detail in your Unit A exam that was overlooked by the examiner, which may push up your mark. Please comment if you want to share your EAR outcome. Best Wishes.

      Reply
      • Dave F
        Dave F says:

        Hi again,
        I received the result of my EAR and it resulted in a 4 mark upgrade..
        While i’m happy to have got the upgrade to have passed and now finished my Diploma, I am disapponted that I didn’t get my result in time to register & attend the graduation ceremony and will have to attend next year.
        With regard to NEBOSH marking, I appreciate errors are made, but if it were me marking and a candidate had missed passing by ONE mark, I would have triple checked my marking to make sure I hadn’t missed that mark. Also, a paper failing with such a close margin should automatically trigger a review.
        Given the importance and standing of the qualification, marking should be more consistent. A 4 mark miss is a lot in my opinion.
        I’m glad I have finally passed the Dip, and wish best of luck to all future students, and thanks to the team at SHEilds for helping me complete both the general & the Dip.

        Reply
        • SHEilds Health and Safety
          SHEilds Health and Safety says:

          Thank you for your post and congratulations on passing your diploma, this is a great achievement, well done!

          4 marks does seem a lot but it is quite easy for there to be one point different in marking for a couple of questions which even though it is one mark here and there it does add up.

          The majority of remarks result in the mark not changing which shows that on the whole the examiners doing the marking are accurate with their marking against the NEBOSH requirements. There are however, occasions where NEBOSH examiners may differ in their marking and the student felt they should have achieved a higher mark. This is why the remark process exists.

          On this occasion your remark resulted in your marks increasing which is great news as it shows the process works.

          Once again congratulations on passing your qualification and we look forward to seeing you at your graduation next year.

          Reply
  6. Mohammad
    Mohammad says:

    I am not Sheilds Student, But i always like to go for sheilds in Future. My Query is that I passed 1GC 1 With 52 Marks,IGC-2 With 38 Marks and IGC -3 with 54 Marks, What shall i do? Please Help and guide me. Can i apply for EAR for IGC 3 Practical Assessment because my report was fine.

    Reply
    • Emma Wiles
      Emma Wiles says:

      Thank you for contacting SHEilds.

      The first step after receiving your practical results should be to contact your course provider. Course providers are able to provide feedback on the students practical as they are marked by the course providers and not NEBOSH. Therefore if you want to know where you did not gain marks we would recommend contacting your course provider and asking for their feedback as the first step. You can then review this feedback to see if you agree with this or not and if you do not agree you can then consider the EAR.

      An EAR (remark) is recommended for those close to the pass mark. NEBOSH have a marking tolerance of 3 marks for the practical which means that anyone scoring 57-59 can apply for a remark. For those with less than 57 marks it is not recommended as it is unlikely that a score will increase by more than 3 marks due to the training the markers have gone though.

      The option as to whether to go for a remark is entirely up to the student themselves however as this is a service you pay NEBOSH for and you are outside of the tolerance range, it is not recommended. You do not receive feedback for your EAR and it is unlikely that NEBOSH will find an additional 6 marks to take you to a pass.

      We would recommend re-registering to re-sit the GC2 written examination and the GC3 practical; amending your weaker practical sections as per your course providers feedback.

      Reply
  7. Yusuf Iqbal
    Yusuf Iqbal says:

    If IGC 3 is a match from other papers then what will happen. And if got blocked then for how much time we will be banned and also IGC1 and IGC2 will also block. Then my question is that for how many years it will be blocked for all exam papers.

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Yusuf,

      NEBOSH examinations are heavily regulated and monitored including the IGC 3 paper, should a paper be deemed to be plagiarised then NEBOSH will withhold results pending investigation. The result of the investigation will determine what further action (if any) is taken and can include a ban from taking further qualifications. The length of the ban depends on the findings of the investigation but can range from 12 months to lifetime.

      I would suggest contacting your local SHEilds office and speaking with one of our advisers, you can then provide more information and we can assist in trying to establish your next steps

      Regards

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Hamza,

      NEBOSH specify that each question should start on a new sheet of paper, this greatly helps with organising a students grades. There was a time where every question was sent to a different exam marker. This could have meant your questions are all marked by different people and if you had written your answer on the same sheet as another question, you may not have received a mark due to this error. However things have now changed, the whole exam paper containing all questions is now marked by a single nebosh exam marker. This means if you had accidentally forgotten to start a new sheet of paper for a question the marker would notice that you had in-fact answered the question and would mark it as per any other question.

      This is great news for students as it means NEBOSH exam markers will grade each answer provided and NEBOSH recognise that these simple oversights can occur. Therefore you would not normally be penalised nor your answer ignored as per the old method of grading. So the rule is there, you must start each answer on a new sheet of paper, but don’t stress over this having an impact on your final grade.

      I hope that helps settle some exam nerves.

      Reply
  8. Maqsood
    Maqsood says:

    Hi.
    I got 43 marks in IGC 1 and now looking for rechecking. I got 54 & 64 in IGC 2 & 3. Need suggestion what would I do. What will be the possible result.

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello, Thank you for contacting SHEilds.

      Firstly let me congratulate you on passing your IGC paper 2 and your practical paper. For paper 1 you are required to gain a minimum of 45 marks to secure a passing grade. With a grade of 43 marks you are very close to the minimum passing mark, in this case, it may be worth applying for an EAR (enquiry about result).

      Please note that applying for an EAR is time sensitive and must be done very quickly after the results are released. I would advise that you speak with your course provider who will be to advise further and take you through the process.

      Reply
  9. Mainraj
    Mainraj says:

    I am not Sheilds Student, But i always like to go for sheilds in Future. My Query is that I passed IGC -3 61 marks, GC 1- 31 Marks,IGC-2 With 30 , What shall i do? Please Help and guide me. Can i apply for EAR for IGC 1,2

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello, Thank you for contacting SHEilds.

      Firstly let me congratulate you on passing your IGC practical paper. In regards to papers 1 & 2, you are required to gain a minimum of 45 marks to secure a passing grade. Applying for an EAR in this situation is not a good idea as it is very unlikely that you will gain an additional 15 marks in each paper (NEBOSH markers are very well trained and their work is heavily monitored and regularly checked for consistency).

      The option you have is to resit your examination and take papers 1 & 2 again (providing you do this within 5 years of you joining/enrolling on to the course). Should you wish to resit your examinations with SHEilds we are happy to assist, please contact us via our contact page and advise when and where you wish to sit your exam and one of our course advisers will contact you and take you through the process.

      Reply
  10. MD Shanwaj
    MD Shanwaj says:

    I got 43 marks in GC 1&3 shall I go for reverification/Recounting? Is there any chance to pass. I want to resit exam too so both is possible? Please help?

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hi MD,

      Your mark falls inside the recommended tolerance threshold for NEBOSH re-marking.

      The tolerance is within 3 marks of a passing grade; and you need 45 to pass. As you scored just 2 marks off the pass rate for both papers, it’s recommend to go for remarking. However please note this does not mean you will end up with a passing grade overall. For example, one of your remarked papers may score 45 or perhaps more if re-marked and you would pass that paper. However your other paper may only score 44, meaning that paper would be a fall.

      In the above example you would not pass both papers and so, may still have to re-sit one of them. I’m brining this to your attention as the odds that both papers will be re-marked to a high enough grade to pass, for each, are quite low in reality. That being said, you may have some success with your re-marked papers. It’s worth noting that re-marking does take time and can cause delays if you’re waiting for a re-mark response before you continue your studies.

      Good luck!

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Nikhil,

      To pass the GC3 practical you must score 60% as I’m sure you are aware. As you’ve scored just below the pass mark it may be worth submitting an Enquiry About Results (EAR) as your grade is the limit of recommended tolerance.

      A point to note is that EAR applications can take some time for NEBOSH to process. Should NEBOSH find the remark for your GC3 still not adequate to pass, you’ll most likely want to attempt to next exam schedule date for your GC3.

      However, you must register for exams approximately 2 month before the exam date itself (for the International General Certificate). This means you may miss out to register in time for the next set of scheduled examinations.

      If you are thinking about submitting an EAR, do it as soon as possible! This will help by reducing the amount of time it takes to receive your result. Basically, if you wait too long, this may impact the next exam date you can attempt as it can push you past the exam registration deadline for the next exams.

      I hope that helps with your decision, good luck!

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Bilaludeen,

      You do not appear to be one of our students, unless you’ve registered with us using another email address.
      So, the best course of action is that you will need to contact your approved NEBOSH training provider and request an EAR (Enquiry About Results) application.

      Your training provider can guide you how to complete the application. It usually takes around 8 weeks to receive the remarked result.

      If you are a SHEilds student, simple give us a call or email to arrange an EAR application; and our examinations department can guide you.

      Reply
  11. Numan sociologist
    Numan sociologist says:

    Hi every one. I got 44 marks in IGC2, so please suggest to me can I go for rechecking and is it confirmed that i will get one more mark?

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Numan,

      It can never be guaranteed you’ll be awarded any more marks than you’ve already received. You could potentially be marked with a lower grade. However, seen as though you’ve scored very close to a pass grade, it’s likely worthwhile to apply for an EAR (re-checking your grade).

      Good Luck!

      Reply
  12. harikesh
    harikesh says:

    Hi, I have attempted IGC 1 and GC 2 in month of Feb. I got 37 and 41 respectively. However cleared GC3 and got 69 marks. I would like to study again for IGC1 and GC 2, Can i do it from some other course provider? And if I can, do I have to attempt GC 3 again?

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Harikesh,

      Great questions – Firstly, yes you can sit with another provider and you would not need to re-take GC3 if you already passed it with any provider within the past 5 years. However, most NEBOSH providers won’t take you on just to sit exams. Most often you need to buy their training also – perhaps at a reduced rate if you’ve already passed certain parts of the whole course.

      Let me expand on that a little and give you a real world example.

      If you decided you’d rather take the remaining exams with SHEilds Ltd as your provider, that’s entirely possible, but you would have to pay a fee to access our training materials, before you can take your exams with us.

      Each approved NEBOSH training provider creates their own training materials (some training providers buy in materials created by other providers – For example, Phoenix HSC buys-in their training materials from another provider – NEBOSH do not provide materials to their providers, just an outline of what is needed to be covered to meet the knowledge and skill requirements to pass.

      This means no two training providers are the same as their teaching materials differ. This means if you were to study with SHEilds, having in-depth study materials, you will likely have a greater chance of passing the exams due to the improved materials, compared to another provider you may have already studied with.

      For this reason, NEBOSH training providers are likely to charge you to gain access to their materials, as SHEilds would, so you can study and then take the exams. We would emphasise the importance of studying our materials, because if you were to score badly on your exam and registered with SHEilds, this would reflect badly on us as the provider. Each providers students are constantly measured for performance and this monitoring helps guide NEBOSH to recognise which providers are training their students better than others.

      So, if you wanted to study with SHEilds, we would charge a fee to access our study materials and then the typical exam fees per exam. Taking your exams with another provider isn’t an issue, but there may be additional costs for you as the learner.

      I hope that explanation helps and provides the information you wanted.

      Reply
  13. hashik
    hashik says:

    Hi sir,
    I got 44 marks in IGC2, so please suggest to me can I go for rechecking and is it confirmed that i will get one more mark?

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Hashik,

      If you apply for EAR, it can not be guaranteed your grade will be marked any higher than you’ve already achieved. Although as you are only 1 mark off passing GC2 exam paper, it may be worth applying for an Enquiry About Results (EAR).

      As a positive example a member of the SHEilds team handed in their work (unrelated to NEBOSH) for their course. They were given 60 marks out of 60 available. This 100% score seemed unusual, and so was investigated by the examining body and re-marked.

      The tutor expected their re-marked grade for the students’ course work to be reduced and were worried for the student as this looked like an attempt at cheating – no one had previously scored so high.

      To the surprise of the tutor, their student actually received 63 marks out of 60 when the paper was re-marked! Apparently the tutor was told the student was not given the bonus marks available as there were no errors at all in the students’ work they had submitted; meaning the student actually ended up scoring 105% when it was expected their grade would be reduced.

      The lesson here is when exam papers are re-marked, you could be surprised either way, you could score higher, but you could also score lower.

      Ultimately the decision is yours and we wish you the very best of luck.

      Reply
  14. Amit kumar
    Amit kumar says:

    Dear sir/Mam,
    My confusion is that identify type of questions asked in the nebosh exam igc 1 carrying 8 marks I answered 5 points right and 3 points wrong answer than my question is that may I get 5 marks or score for that question

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hi Amit,

      Questions are phrased in various ways and we generally advise that for straightforward questions (e.g. “Outline reasons why accidents in a workplace should be reported and recorded. (8)”) students should include at least as many points in their answers as there are marks available; ideally with one or two more. It is important to ensure that they include the level of detail required by the question and that all answers are relevant to both the subject matter and any workplace scenario set out (e.g. “A worker has been injured by slipping on a wet floor after cleaning. Outline possible root causes of the accident (management system failure). (8)”).

      The exam questions are then marked against a specific marking scheme and for straightforward questions such as those above, one mark is usually awarded to one correct point made providing it meets the level of detail required by the command word (outline, explain, etc.).

      I hope that explanation helps you understand the scoring used for NEBOSH exam questions. Please note that this is just an example and marking does vary depending on the specific question asked.

      Reply
  15. Bilal
    Bilal says:

    Sir,
    I got 44 marks in IGC1, so please suggest to me can I go for rechecking and is it confirmed that i will get one more mark?

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Bilal,

      The best advice would be to apply for an EAR request (Enquiry About Results) as you are very close to passing, but just 1 mark. Although, it can not be guaranteed you will receive any more marks – this is entirely down to the marker of your NEBOSH NGC1 paper. Good luck and stay positive.

      Reply
  16. Pavan
    Pavan says:

    Dear Sir/mam,

    i passed IGC3 in 2014 but unfortunately i didn’t finish igc 1 and igc 2. is it possible to do in this time, please advice me accordingly

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Pavan,

      Usually, the advice would be yes, you should be able to complete the IGC1/2 papers as you have 5 year time-window in which NEBOSH allow you to complete a NEBOSH certificate qualification. However, in your situation this might be more complicated as the NEBOSH International General Certificate syllabus has changed in 2014 and has also changed again very recently as of Sept 2019. Although NEBOSH are still allowing students to complete the old 2014 syllabus for a short period to March 2020 which only leaves a few months.

      So, it is technically possible to complete your IGC qualification, so long as you completed the IGC3 practical exam on the same 2014 syllabus and you must also complete the IGC1/2 exams by March 2020. Additionally however, the 2014 syllabus became available since November 2014. You must now think, which version of the syllabus specification did you complete your IGC3 on? Was it the 2014 syllabus or a version before it?

      In your case, which is complicated given the time-frame available, the best advice would be to contact NEBOSH directly and ask which syllabus specification you completed your IGC3 practical assessment on. If your IGC3 was a completed on the 2014 syllabus, then you can enrol with a NEBOSH provider and take the remaining IGC1/2 exams to complete the qualification, where your previous IGC3 result can be used to contribute to the qualification.

      This means you would only have to complete two exams. However, if you completed the IGC3 on an older syllabus specification (pre 2014) then I’m afraid you must start the whole qualification a-fresh as your IGC3 cannot contribute to the qualification if on a different syllabus.

      One other thing to consider is that you must also complete all three parts (IGC1/2/3) within 5 years of being registered with NEBOSH. So, you must also think when did you enrol on your first attempt of a NEBOSH exam/assessment; and is this within 5 years of March 2020 (as March 2020 would likely be the standard exam schedule you can attend due to NEBOSH exam registration deadlines)?

      As the time-frame is very very tight, you should contact NEBOSH directly for clarification to find out specific dates and the syllabus you previously attempted. Also, quite importantly, if you cannot complete all three parts of the assessment within 5 years, then you must re-enrol and start from the beginning.

      Good luck and if you need further advice, simply give us a call or complete an enquiry form and a SHEilds course advisor will be more than happy to assist you.

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Dhamotharan,

      If you were to go for an EAR (Enquiry About Results) for both papers’ grades, it is not likely you will gain sufficient marks (if you were given more marks) for the GC2 paper.

      However, you may gain enough marks to pass the GC1 paper as you are within the recommended threshold of marks to apply for an EAR – you were very close to passing GC1.

      This being said, please remember it is not guaranteed you will gain any marks at all when re-graded after an EAR application.

      You can, of course apply for EAR for both papers, as you are entitled to do so, as a NEBOSH student. The odds are simply against you. Although, there’s always a chance the original exam marker may interpret your answers differently than another exam marker when applying for EAR and award you enough marks to pass both, it’s just very unlikely.

      I hope that helps with you with your decision.

      Reply
  17. santosh Thapa
    santosh Thapa says:

    Hi, I am very upset today that I failed igc 1 with only 3 marks.
    I want to seat again cause it will regenerate my education level ; no worries.
    I will sit for last 1 time and give a great punch and try to score 60+

    Reply
  18. Abdullah khan
    Abdullah khan says:

    Dear sir ,
    I’ve passed IGC 1. After that I applied for my GC 2 paper, I failed it having 41 marks … I appeared again in the next examination…. I failed again, having same marks 41, although I worked so hard and studied for many hours a day …. After that I appeared 3rd time, studied harder and the paper that was given by nebosh was very very easy …. I finished it quite easily having no problem in my command words or any other stuff ….. But, eventually failed again having just 37 numbers …. So after that I decided to go for rechecking, because I was damn sure I’ve attempted my paper correct ….. So, now the rechecking is in process but can I know have I done right or wrong …..
    Waiting for your reply
    Thanks
    Regards

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello, Thank you for letting us know. It’s best to have a conversation with your course tutor, as they might have some good feedback based on your course work and weekly questions and answers, as it seems that the scores are quite similar, which could mean that the same mistakes are repeated at each exam.

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hi Younis,

      There have been some changed to the IGC qualification recently. This means the assessment has changed from three assessment papers to now only two assessment papers. There used to be three assessment papers, IGC1 (written), GC2 (written) and the practical (report). As this has now changed to only two papers, the old IGC1 and GC2 written papers have now been combined into a single exam paper, now referred to as “IG1”, with a minimum pass of 45%. The practical assessment has now changed from an inspection report, graded with a percent, now to a “pass” or “refer” with no percent grade at all – a refer basically means ‘did not pass’ and ‘pass’ means you successfully demonstrated you can complete an inspection report to a sufficient degree.

      So, to be clear the new IG course now consists of two exam papers only, one is a written paper called IG1 (45% min to pass) and IG2 – the practical paper (pass or refer). This simplifies the exams process.

      I hope that helps you.

      Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Rahman,
      Your grade is very close to achieving a higher mark in your International General Certificate. It may be worthwhile going for an EAR (enquiry about results) in an attempt to get a higher final grade.
      However, as you have very clearly passed there is no real need to do so; unless of course you need to satisfy a particular passing grade for your employer. Having a higher grade may also appear better to potential employers if applying for a job. I would say though, that most employers do not look at the passing grade, rather just ensure you are qualified to perform the role.

      It’s entirely your own decision, but in all honesty you may use the time to instead study a NEBOSH Diploma or other specialist certificate course to expand your knowledge base. This would make you much more attractive to employers than simply having a slightly higher passing grade for the IGC alone.

      Good luck!

      Reply
  19. Ghayas
    Ghayas says:

    Hi. This is amazing and unbelievable that NEBOSH marked me only 42 for the both subjects igc1 and igc2. I think this raises a question about the credibility of NEBOSH. Those who worked hard waste their time and money. Nebosh should not play with their students emotions, they should checked properly each question.

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Ghayas,

      Thank you for your message and feedback, we are happy to relay your feedback to NEBOSH. For the marking of the papers, NEBOSH has a remarking scheme known as an EAR (at a cost, but free if successful) to ensure the 100% correct marking. In the first instance, I would talk to your course tutor and see if there is anything what they could point out, as it could be that the same mistakes are repeated in each paper, contributing to the same score in each paper.

      Reply
  20. Supriya Mondal
    Supriya Mondal says:

    Respected Mam,
    I am getting 43 marks in IGC1, Can I go for EAR ? Is it helpful for me ? Please suggest. Thanks

    Reply
    • SHEilds Health and Safety
      SHEilds Health and Safety says:

      Hello Supriya,

      You are very close to passing and within the recommended 3 grade points from gaining a pass. It may be worth applying for EAR in your case, but remember there are no guarantees NEBOSH will give you any more marks.

      Good luck

      Reply
  21. Shabir Ahmad
    Shabir Ahmad says:

    Hello, everyone!

    I have received my NEBOSH IG1 result, and unfortunately, I obtained 40 marks. Despite feeling confident in my paper attempt, this outcome has left me feeling disheartened. To gain clarity on my performance, I have requested a breakdown sheet from NEBOSH. Upon reviewing the breakdown sheet, I was surprised to find that in some questions, I received extremely low marks, including zero, which was unexpected.

    In an effort to understand where I may have gone wrong, I sought feedback from HSE experts who reviewed my paper. They commented that technically, my paper was strong and should have achieved a score of around 52 marks.

    Now, I am faced with the dilemma of whether to opt for rechecking or to consider resitting the exam. However, I must admit feeling disappointed with the process, as I believe NEBOSH should provide individualized feedback to students, allowing them to understand their mistakes and reasons for failure.

    Reply

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