Guide
NEBOSH General Certificate cost: the two fees you actually pay
Updated
The National General Certificate is the qualification most people mean when they ask what NEBOSH costs. Its price is not one number, and knowing which half is fixed makes comparing quotes straightforward.
Two fees, set by two different organisations
- The assessment registration fee, set by NEBOSH
- Published, identical wherever you study, and charged per unit. For applications on or after 1 April 2026 the National General Certificate units are £95 per unit, so two units is £190 of NEBOSH fees (NEBOSH Learner Fees List v21). NEBOSH notes that some Learning Partners incorporate these fees within the price you pay them.
- The tuition fee, set by your Learning Partner
- Not published centrally. NEBOSH's own answer to what it costs is that each Learning Partner sets their own fees to reflect the service offered, and that costs vary with the partner, the mode of study and the level of support (nebosh.org.uk). This is the half worth shopping around on.
When two quotes look far apart, the usual explanation is that one includes the £190 of NEBOSH assessment fees and the other does not. Ask every provider to itemise tuition and assessment fees separately.
What the qualification involves
- Two units. Under the 2025 specification these are GNC1, an open book examination assessing what you know, and GNC2, a three hour practical risk assessment assessing what you can do.
- A minimum of 66 taught hours plus approximately 40 hours of private study and background reading, per NEBOSH.
- No entry requirements, though NEBOSH recommends English at a standard equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or higher.
- You cannot self-study. NEBOSH states that every learner must register with an accredited Learning Partner before taking an assessment, which is why there is no route that skips the tuition fee.
The syllabus changed in 2026, and it affects your quote
NEBOSH reviewed and updated the National General Certificate for 2026. Teaching of the revised syllabus began on 2 February 2026, the first assessments against it were from 4 March 2026, and the final assessments against the previous October 2018 specification were on 6 August 2026 (nebosh.org.uk). The units were renamed from NG1 and NG2 to GNC1 and GNC2. Ask any provider quoting you which specification the course teaches.
What moves the tuition half of the price
- Mode of study. NEBOSH lists face to face, distance learning, in-company training and eLearning; support levels differ sharply between them.
- Group size. In-company delivery for a cohort is priced per course, not per seat, which changes the maths above roughly six to eight people.
- Tutor support. Marked mock assessments, one to one tutorials and unlimited tutor access are the main reasons two eLearning quotes differ.
- Whether NEBOSH fees are included. See the official fee list.
- Resits. Registration is charged per unit, so a failed unit means paying to register for it again. A provider offering strong assessment preparation is cheaper than one that does not if it saves a resit.
Funding exists for some UK residents: NEBOSH publishes guidance on funding schemes on its own site. Ask Learning Partners whether your role or sector qualifies before you pay in full.