NEBOSH Syllabus Updates
- New NEBOSH Diploma Syllabi
NEBOSH launched their revised syllabus for theAccreditation for the NEBOSH National and International Diploma has moved from SQA to Ofqual. This change has allowed IOSH membership eligibility to be reinstated for international NEBOSH Diploma holders who complete at least one module on the 2023 syllabus. As part of the move to Ofqual, some changes have been made to the course assessment, however the structure and content of the course itself remain unchanged. Details of the changes can be found below.
The NEBOSH National and International Diplomas for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals has moved to Ofqual regulation. This has taken effect from the July Diploma assessments.
Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments, and offers regulatory protection for NEBOSH Diplomas taken internationally and in the UK. These qualifications were previously regulated by SQA Accreditation.
Because of the change in regulator, the Diplomas will be classed as new specifications (May 2023) and will have new qualification titles in line with Ofqual requirements. These are:
Moving to Ofqual means that NEBOSH will regain IOSH membership recognition for our overseas learners.
As part of the changes to its accreditation processes in 2022, IOSH announced it would no longer accredit qualifications that are not regulated. This change meant that any NEBOSH learner who took their Diploma assessments outside of the UK would not be eligible to use their NEBOSH qualification towards IOSH membership unless they had registered/enrolled with NEBOSH by 31 August 2022.
By moving to Ofqual regulation, NEBOSH are able to fulfil IOSH’s accreditation requirement for regulation in any country that a learner takes their Diploma assessments. NEBOSH therefore re-applied for IOSH recognition and can confirm that the NEBOSH National and International Diplomas meet the academic requirements to apply for IOSH membership at the appropriate grade*^
Recognition by BCSP, BCRSP and IIRSM remain unaffected.
*IOSH retains the right to change its membership standards, recognition, and grade entry requirements. Please check the latest IOSH membership eligibility criteria at the time of applying.
^Please refer to the learner scenarios at the end of this email for details related to learners at different stages of their qualification journey.
National Diploma ND unit codes will change to DN (e.g. unit DN1), and International Diploma ID unit codes will change to DI (e.g. unit DI1). This is to help distinguish between the qualification specifications.
The unit titles will remain the same as the July 2020 specifications.
This will not affect you as a learner.
The total marks per unit assessment will be reduced as follows:
DN1/DI1 will still consist of two papers; the second paper will have one ‘combined part’ (instead of being split into parts 2, 3 and 4). Paper 1 will be 100 marks (reduced from 150 marks) and Paper 2 will be 200 marks (instead of 400 marks).
Due to the reduced total marks for each Diploma unit assessment, it will not take learners as long to complete and submit their assessments. Therefore, the expected total hours to complete and submission windows will change as follows:
Due to the change in assessment duration, other associated dates/deadlines have changed. The submission deadline will also be listed on a learner’s individual Assessment Registration Confirmation email at the time of registration for an assessment.
Due to the assessment hours being reduced, the total qualification time and credits has reduced accordingly. Please note that there are no changes to the taught or private study hours, as the syllabus content has not been changed from the July 2020 specification.
This does not affect the level of the qualification, which is a level 6 as previously.
Learners who achieved either a Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals (2020 specification) or a Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (2015) can apply for IOSH membership at the appropriate grade, irrespective of the country they took their qualification or whether their Diploma parchment features a regulator logo.
Learners who are still studying their NEBOSH Diploma (not yet achieved all three units of the Diploma qualification) will move to the Ofqual regulated version of the qualification. Any units already achieved under the July 2020 specification will be automatically transferred across as recognised prior learning towards the Ofqual regulated version. Students will not be required to retake previously completed units of the 2020 specification.
This means that, when learners achieve their qualification, it will be under Ofqual regulation. The learner’s final parchment will feature an Ofqual logo, enabling them to use their qualification towards IOSH membership.
*UK learners only. Where learners have not yet passed all three units, but are awaiting results for a final unit assessment which was taken before July 2023, the parchment will still contain the SQA Accreditation regulator logo. This is because learners will need to pass at least one Ofqual-regulated unit assessment in order to achieve the Ofqual logo on their parchment.
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