The NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) is the world's most popular health and safety qualification, recognised in over 130 countries. Whether you're preparing for the NEBOSH general certificate or advancing your career in occupational safety, our comprehensive practice tests will help you succeed.
Prepare with our free NEBOSH IGC practice questions covering all IG1 and IG2 units. From health and safety management systems to practical risk assessment, these resources are designed to help you pass the NEBOSH course exam on your first attempt.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
Important: The NEBOSH IGC is an internationally recognised health and safety qualification awarded by the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health. It consists of two units: IG1 (Management of Health and Safety) assessed via open-book exam, and IG2 (Risk Assessment) assessed through a practical workplace assessment. The NEBOSH general certificate is the gold standard for H&S professionals worldwide.
Many employers sponsor their staff through NEBOSH courses as part of professional development. Check with your employer about funding for health and safety training — it may be covered under your CPD budget or company training programme. Practice with the free NEBOSH IGC practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (7 questions with answer explanations).
Interactive NEBOSH IGC resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:
According to National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, “Each assessment is marked out of 100, with the pass mark at 60% (60 marks out of 100). The assessment is marked as ‘Pass’ (60% or higher) or ‘Refer’ (59% or less).”[2]
The content areas below are copied from the official NEBOSH content outline published by National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Chemical and biological agents[1] | FREE NEBOSH IGC PRACTICE TEST Practise recognising how harmful substances enter the body and which controls apply to each kind of agent. |
| Electricity[1] | NEBOSH Workplace Hazards Practise the main electrical hazards, how injury happens and which protective measures reduce the risk. |
| Fire[1] | NEBOSH Fire Safety Management Practise fire prevention, detection, escape routes and how fire risk is managed in a workplace. |
| General workplace issues[1] | NEBOSH Work Environment Practise welfare provision, working conditions and the basic duties employers owe in the workplace. |
| Health and safety monitoring and measuring[1] | NEBOSH Monitoring and Review Practise the difference between active and reactive monitoring and how findings feed back into improvement. |
| How health and safety management systems work and what they look like[1] | NEBOSH H&S MANAGEMENT PRACTICE TEST Practise the stages of a management system and how policy, planning, delivery and review connect. |
| Managing risk – understanding people and processes[1] | NEBOSH RISK ASSESSMENT PRACTICE TEST Practise hazard identification, judging who could be harmed and choosing proportionate controls, including human factors. |
| Musculoskeletal health[1] | NEBOSH Musculoskeletal Hazards Practise spotting manual handling and repetitive work risks and the ways of reducing them. |
| Physical and psychological health[1] | NEBOSH Physical Hazards Practise noise, vibration, temperature and stress-related hazards and how each affects health. |
| Why we should manage workplace health and safety[1] | NEBOSH Foundations of Health and Safety Practise the moral, legal and financial reasons for managing safety, and what poor management costs. |
| Work equipment[1] | NEBOSH Work Equipment Safety Practise the duties around suitability, maintenance, guarding and safe use of equipment, including work at height. |
Prepare for the NEBOSH - National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health IGC exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Under PUWER 1998, what is the primary duty placed on employers regarding the provision of work equipment?
Answer: A. Equipment must be suitable for its intended use and conditions
Explanation:
The correct answer is that equipment must be suitable for its intended use and conditions. PUWER 1998 asks the employer to look at the actual job, the place it is done and the risks present, then make sure the equipment fits that situation by design, construction or adaptation.
Buying only from approved suppliers is wrong because the regulations do not name suppliers; a supplier list does not prove the equipment suits the task. Replacing equipment on a fixed schedule regardless of condition is wrong because the duty depends on suitability and maintenance, not age alone. Painting equipment in high-visibility colours may help in some settings but it is not the primary duty.
The rule to remember: for work equipment, ask whether it is fit for this task in these conditions, not whether it came from a particular source or has reached a particular age.
Question: Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which of the following welfare facilities must an employer provide?
Answer: B. Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences, washing facilities, and drinking water
Explanation:
The correct answer is suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences, washing facilities and drinking water. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 set minimum welfare standards, and these three are the basics every employer must provide.
A gymnasium and showers go beyond the minimum; they are a benefit an employer may choose to offer, not a legal requirement. A staff canteen with hot meals is also not required, although there must be somewhere suitable to rest and eat in many workplaces. Individual offices for all employees is wrong because the regulations deal with space, ventilation and comfort in general terms, not private rooms.
The rule to remember: welfare duties cover essential needs such as toilets, washing and clean drinking water, not extras that improve comfort or morale.
Question: Which of the following is classified as 'work at height' under NEBOSH IGC guidelines?
Answer: B. Working on a flat roof with no edge protection
Explanation:
The correct answer is working on a flat roof with no edge protection. Work at height is defined by the chance of a fall that could cause injury, not by how high the person is. A roof edge with nothing to stop a fall fits that definition clearly.
Working in a basement below ground level is wrong because the risk there is different, such as confined space or poor ventilation, and a fall from height is not the central hazard. Working at a desk on the ground floor involves no fall risk of the kind described. Loading goods from ground level onto a pallet is a manual handling activity, not work at height.
The rule to remember: ask whether a person could fall and be hurt from where they are working, and do not rely on a fixed minimum height.
Start with the official NEBOSH syllabus guide and write down each content area in your own words. Mark the ones you cannot explain without looking, since those need the most time.
Next, work through the practice sets one topic at a time rather than mixing everything. After each set, read the explanation for every question you missed and write one sentence stating the rule behind it. Return to that topic a few days later and retry only the missed questions.
Remember that GIC1 is open book and scenario based, so recalling facts is only part of the task. Use the practice sets to learn where information sits in your notes and the course material, then practise applying it to a short workplace scenario written in your own words. Practise explaining your answers aloud, because the closing interview asks about your submission.
For GIC2, practise a real walk-through of a workplace or a photo of one: list hazards, who could be harmed, existing controls and what you would change. Plan your time around the recommended 4 hours rather than rushing. In the final days, reread your rule sentences and check the current dates and requirements on the NEBOSH website.
After completing your NEBOSH IGC, consider joining IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) as a TechIOSH member. This provides access to networking events, CPD resources, and enhances your professional credibility in the health and safety field.
If you are preparing for a career in construction & safety, you may also find these related practice tests helpful:
Prepare for the IOSH - Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Managing Safely — the IOSH Managing Safely certification for managers and supervisors responsible for workplace safety.
Prepare for the CITB - Construction Industry Training Board — the UK Construction Industry Training Board health and safety test required for CSCS cards.
Prepare for the CSCS - Construction Skills Certification Scheme — the Construction Skills Certification Scheme card test verifying health and safety knowledge on UK sites.
Prepare for the CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician — the Construction Health and Safety Technician certification for safety professionals on construction sites.
Prepare for the Certified Safety Professional Exam — the Certified Safety Professional exam for advanced occupational safety and health practitioners.
You can continue preparing with the nebosh sample exam questions, which includes answer explanations for every question.
Try these questions from our free NEBOSH IGC practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.
What minimum workspace volume per person does the Approved Code of Practice recommend?
Answer: C. 11 cubic metres
The ACoP to the Workplace Regulations recommends a minimum of 11 cubic metres per person in a workroom. This calculation should exclude any space more than 3 metres above floor level and should account for furniture and fittings that reduce usable space.
Which of the following is classified as 'work at height' under NEBOSH IGC guidelines?
Answer: B. Working on a flat roof with no edge protection
Any work where a person could fall and injure themselves, including on a flat roof with no edge protection, is classified as work at height regardless of the distance above ground.
What is the minimum workplace temperature for sedentary work as recommended by the Approved Code of Practice to the Workplace Regulations?
Answer: B. 16°C
The Approved Code of Practice to the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 recommends a minimum temperature of 16°C for sedentary work (such as office work). For work involving severe physical effort, the minimum is 13°C. These are not absolute legal limits but ACoP guidance carries significant weight.
What is the hierarchy of control measures for workplace hazards according to NEBOSH principles?
Answer: B. Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) as a last resort
The hierarchy of control ranks measures by effectiveness: elimination (remove the hazard), substitution (replace with less hazardous), engineering controls (isolate people), administrative controls (change work patterns), PPE (last resort).
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.