NEBOSH National General Certificate
Exam Hints & Tips
Now you've committed yourself to taking the NEBOSH Certificate, you've probably wondered
what you've got yourself into! Hopefully the following hints & tips will help you to get the
maximum marks possible.
Tips for the Written Papers
First Things First!
Start by reading the exam paper all the way through. You should find at least one question
that you are confident about answering. The pages in your answer book are numbered
according to the question you are answering, so it doesn't matter in which order you do the
questions, as long as you put your answer on the corresponding page of the answer book. It's a
good idea to start with the question you're happiest about, as this gets your brain working and
gives you confidence. Work through a couple of 'easier' questions & then tackle some of the
harder ones. Just make sure you attempt them all!
Clock Watch!
You must keep your eye on the time. You are allowed 2 hours for each paper. There are 11
questions on each paper, and you are expected to answer every one. Question 1 is worth 20
marks, and you should allocate about 25 minutes for your answer. Questions 2-11 are worth 8
marks each, and therefore you have to answer 10 questions in 90 minutes. If you allow 8
minutes for each question, you will have a small cushion at the end to check over your paper, or
to finish any last bits.
Please remember: -
It is better to provide an answer to every question than to do 9 or 10 of them well!
Statistically, candidates score the most marks for the information they give at the beginning
of their answers. You will get very few extra marks for a long, rambling answer. It's also
worth remembering that for any question you fail to attempt, your score will be ZERO!
So, answer every question, even if you're not over-confident. If you have reached the time
limit (25 minutes for Q1 & 8 minutes for each of the others) MOVE ON! You do not want to
end up wasting time perfecting one answer if it means you run out of time to attempt all the
questions.
Answer the Question!
We all know the sorts of questions we would like to be on the paper - trouble is, they're not
always there! You need to:
, READ THE QUESTION
Get an idea of what the question is asking. This is especially important on Q1, which is
often a part question. It is very easy to start rushing in to the answer, only to find when
you get to part (ii) that you're writing similar things. NEBOSH do not ask you to give the
same information twice in one question, so if this is happening, you're going wrong.
READ IT AGAIN, BEFORE YOU START WRITING!
This will give you an idea of the depth of answer required, denoted by the action verb
(e.g. outline, describe, state, list etc). It also focuses your mind on actually answering. It
is a good idea to highlight the important words in the question, either by underlining them
or by using a highlighter pen. Again, this clarifies what you are being asked and allows you
to think about what your answer should be. You can’t take your exam paper away with you,
but you can highlight things on it.
Once you've started your answer, check the question to make sure you're answering
what you've been asked.
If I had £1 for every student who'd gone off at a tangent in their answer to a NEBOSH
question, I'd be a very rich lady!! You will do this at some point, but it's a good idea to
make sure it happens in the classroom rather than in the exam! Simply by checking that
you are answering the question, whilst you are doing it can save an awful lot of time &
heartache. If you check halfway through, it does give you time to salvage something if
you've gone wrong. (I’ve done it!).
Question Spotting!
NEBOSH are well aware that students practice answering past questions, and although they
do repeat questions, they may not be straight repeats. You may see part of a question that
has appeared before, with a different second part. Just be aware that you must read the
question thoroughly and keep checking that you’re answering the right question.
Specific Types of Question
Some types of question come up again & again. On the Management paper you are often asked
to "Outline the factors to consider when……..". This type of question requires you to think
about the situation you have been given, and take an overview. They do not usually ask you to
fix it! i.e. you do not have to outline a series of control measures. This is a very common
mistake in approaching this type of question.
E.g. If you were asked to outline the factors to consider before forklift trucks are to be
introduced to a new warehouse, you would outline factors such as
The need for separating FLT movements from pedestrians;
The need for the introduction of speed limits;
Whether high visibility clothing would be required;
The condition of the floors and terrain
The type of FLT to be introduced e.g. the appropriate fuel supply
The loads to be carried etc.
2
Exam Hints & Tips
Now you've committed yourself to taking the NEBOSH Certificate, you've probably wondered
what you've got yourself into! Hopefully the following hints & tips will help you to get the
maximum marks possible.
Tips for the Written Papers
First Things First!
Start by reading the exam paper all the way through. You should find at least one question
that you are confident about answering. The pages in your answer book are numbered
according to the question you are answering, so it doesn't matter in which order you do the
questions, as long as you put your answer on the corresponding page of the answer book. It's a
good idea to start with the question you're happiest about, as this gets your brain working and
gives you confidence. Work through a couple of 'easier' questions & then tackle some of the
harder ones. Just make sure you attempt them all!
Clock Watch!
You must keep your eye on the time. You are allowed 2 hours for each paper. There are 11
questions on each paper, and you are expected to answer every one. Question 1 is worth 20
marks, and you should allocate about 25 minutes for your answer. Questions 2-11 are worth 8
marks each, and therefore you have to answer 10 questions in 90 minutes. If you allow 8
minutes for each question, you will have a small cushion at the end to check over your paper, or
to finish any last bits.
Please remember: -
It is better to provide an answer to every question than to do 9 or 10 of them well!
Statistically, candidates score the most marks for the information they give at the beginning
of their answers. You will get very few extra marks for a long, rambling answer. It's also
worth remembering that for any question you fail to attempt, your score will be ZERO!
So, answer every question, even if you're not over-confident. If you have reached the time
limit (25 minutes for Q1 & 8 minutes for each of the others) MOVE ON! You do not want to
end up wasting time perfecting one answer if it means you run out of time to attempt all the
questions.
Answer the Question!
We all know the sorts of questions we would like to be on the paper - trouble is, they're not
always there! You need to:
, READ THE QUESTION
Get an idea of what the question is asking. This is especially important on Q1, which is
often a part question. It is very easy to start rushing in to the answer, only to find when
you get to part (ii) that you're writing similar things. NEBOSH do not ask you to give the
same information twice in one question, so if this is happening, you're going wrong.
READ IT AGAIN, BEFORE YOU START WRITING!
This will give you an idea of the depth of answer required, denoted by the action verb
(e.g. outline, describe, state, list etc). It also focuses your mind on actually answering. It
is a good idea to highlight the important words in the question, either by underlining them
or by using a highlighter pen. Again, this clarifies what you are being asked and allows you
to think about what your answer should be. You can’t take your exam paper away with you,
but you can highlight things on it.
Once you've started your answer, check the question to make sure you're answering
what you've been asked.
If I had £1 for every student who'd gone off at a tangent in their answer to a NEBOSH
question, I'd be a very rich lady!! You will do this at some point, but it's a good idea to
make sure it happens in the classroom rather than in the exam! Simply by checking that
you are answering the question, whilst you are doing it can save an awful lot of time &
heartache. If you check halfway through, it does give you time to salvage something if
you've gone wrong. (I’ve done it!).
Question Spotting!
NEBOSH are well aware that students practice answering past questions, and although they
do repeat questions, they may not be straight repeats. You may see part of a question that
has appeared before, with a different second part. Just be aware that you must read the
question thoroughly and keep checking that you’re answering the right question.
Specific Types of Question
Some types of question come up again & again. On the Management paper you are often asked
to "Outline the factors to consider when……..". This type of question requires you to think
about the situation you have been given, and take an overview. They do not usually ask you to
fix it! i.e. you do not have to outline a series of control measures. This is a very common
mistake in approaching this type of question.
E.g. If you were asked to outline the factors to consider before forklift trucks are to be
introduced to a new warehouse, you would outline factors such as
The need for separating FLT movements from pedestrians;
The need for the introduction of speed limits;
Whether high visibility clothing would be required;
The condition of the floors and terrain
The type of FLT to be introduced e.g. the appropriate fuel supply
The loads to be carried etc.
2
