NEBOSH are committed to supporting our learners to complete their qualifications and continue their learning journey while staying safe. NEBOSH therefore introducing an open book examination that can be taken at home as a replacement for the invigilated paper-based examinations for Unit 1 of their National and International General Certificates.
An open book examination can test the same learning outcomes and assessment criteria as invigilated paper-based examinations. However, unlike a closed book assessment, you can access textbooks and digital resources when completing an open book examination. Open book examinations test your ability to extract and apply relevant knowledge and organise it to address the question asked.
You will be given a 24 hours duration to complete your open book exam. Make sure your plans allow you to draft, reflect and amend your answers before the deadline, building in time for breaks.
You will be able to complete the assessment at home wherever you are in the world via internet facility. It is important that you prepare a comfortable space to work. We recommend you organise the following before your examination time starts:
Please remember to look after yourself making sure you eat, rest and sleep.
The open book assessment will begin by giving you a scenario. This will typically describe a realistic organization or workplace with an outline of normal operational activities and worker behaviour. The scenario may go on to outline a developing situation, such as an incident or safety intervention. You may be asked to imagine that you hold a specific role, such as a safety manager, in the workplace described. You will be asked to carry out a series of tasks, which may be split into several sub-tasks.
Example of question
Question dependent on the specific scenario, an example question might be:
Question: How could you improve consultation with the workforce in this organisation?
Note: Support your answer using examples from the scenario.
Or
Question: Assess the effectiveness of consultation within this organisation.
Note: Support your answer using examples from the scenario.
NEBOSH will specify the maximum marks available for each to help you manage your time.
You can use written and online materials to help you prepare your answers. However, you must ensure that the work you submit is entirely your own, and for the whole time the examination is live so you must not:
During the examination you can use textbooks, learning materials and other resources for reference. Please be careful not to copy directly from the reference books. Use your own words applying the knowledge which you gained during your training course.
Yes, your overall word count must be +/ – 10% of the recommended word count. Examiners will not mark words that exceeds the word count, they will stop marking at the maximum word count. Remember you are being assessed on relevance and quality rather than quantity of words.
If you are referred, you will be required to resit your open book examination. We will be planning additional examination dates; working as fast as the situation allows.
You will have 24 hours to access, complete and submit your open book examination. It is important that you do not leave everything until the last minute to avoid running out of time. Make sure your plans allow you to write, reflect and amend your answers before the deadline. Spare some time to deal with any unexpected challenges such as slow internet connection or technical issues that may require assistance.
You are expected to act responsibly and with integrity. This means you are allowed to read your own course and revision notes, search information offline or online resources, for example textbooks or online journals. It is expected that you indicate clearly the presence of all material you have quoted from other sources by including the source material in a reference list. You are required to confirm that the work that you are submitting is entirely your own, except where otherwise indicated; and that you have not copied from the work of any other learner, nor consulted or colluded with any other learner/ other person during the examination.
NEBOSH has a clear policy on plagiarism and collusion within assessments: please see the Policy and procedures for suspected malpractice in examinations and assessments for further information. Suspected plagiarism and/or collusion will be investigated thoroughly with Learning Partners and learners, and the outcome of the investigation will determine the level of the sanction applied. NEBOSH takes all forms of assessment malpractice seriously, and repeated attempts of plagiarism or collusion may lead to a learner being banned from taking any future NEBOSH assessments.
You must submit your own work, without any help from others. When you take an examination, you will be required to sign up to a ‘Learner Statement’. This will confirm that you have understood and abided by our rules on plagiarism and collusion. All open book examinations will be marked by NEBOSH Examiners and will be scrutinised for plagiarism and collusion. NEBOSH reserve the right to also make use of plagiarism and collusion checkers and software. After your open book examination your Learning Partner will contact you to undertake a closing interview. The purpose of the interview is to confirm that the work you have submitted is your own.
All open book examinations will be marked by NEBOSH Examiners and will be scrutinised for plagiarism and collusion.
A major misconception is that an open book examination means there is no need to study or prepare beforehand because you have access to textbooks and resources. This is untrue, because you will need to really engage with the material and understand how the concepts and theory can be applied. The Examiner doesn’t want recalled facts (Ratta), but is looking for you to show a deeper understanding of the content. Open book examinations measure depth of understanding so it is very important that you are prepared for the assessment.
Yes of course. Your tutors provide an essential and valuable part of your learning experience. You are far more likely to succeed in your examinations if you participate in lectures and tutorials or take advantage of the alternative support or remote teaching that your Learning Partner is putting in place.
No. This assessment has been designed to assess the same learning outcomes to the same level. NEBOSH continues to maintain the academic standards and quality of their qualifications. They are ensuring that the alternative assessment arrangements meet the required standards and allow robust decisions on learner outcomes to be achieved. We have also sought to make sure that you are not disadvantaged.
For more information please watch the video in Urdu /Hindi language. If you have any inquiry about NEBOSH IGC/NGC open book exam, drop us a line HERE.
The purpose of the closing interview is to confirm that the work you have submitted is your own work and that you did not have assistance in completing your assessment. The Interviewer may ask you questions based on your open book examination. Your closing interview will take place via a video link and will be conducted by an Interviewer nominated by your Learning Partner (NEBOSH Center).
The Interviewer will introduce themselves.
Showing your identification: you will be asked to show your identification to the Interviewer, who will cross check this with your registration details.
Show the room you are in: the Interviewer needs to see you do not have any notes or electronic devices you can access during the interview. You will also need to sit so that the Interviewer can see the door of the room you are sat in.
Questions: the Interviewer will ask you questions based on your open book exam. You will be asked to describe your work in general terms first before more specific questions are asked based on your submission. This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate what you have learned during your studies. Please also refer to ‘Tips for a successful closing interview’ section, below.
End of the interview: the Interviewer will close the interview but will not be able to inform you of the outcome on the video call.
What happens next? If the Interviewer is happy that the work is your own, your mark will be declared in line with published NEBOSH timeframes. If your Interviewer is not satisfied that the work is your own work, they will notify NEBOSH who then contact you directly to advise the next steps. This may initially be a second interview with NEBOSH, or possibly an investigation in line with NEBOSH’s Policy and procedures for suspected malpractice in examinations and assessments.
Will I receive a mark for my closing interview? Your closing interview is not an assessment, and therefore you will not receive a mark for it.
You need to ensure you have one of the following forms of identification that you can show to the Interviewer at the start of the interview:
You will be given a date and time for your closing interview. You will need access to either a smart phone, tablet or computer. Interviews must take place in a private room and you are not permitted to have another person in that room at the time of the interview. The exceptions to this are:
Before the interview make sure that you download any software for the video link to work in advance of the interview. Get a friend or family member to listen to you describe what you wrote about for your open book examination. If possible do this using a video link, so that you can get used to presenting in this way.
Make sure that you have your identification in advance of the interview. Make sure that you have a quiet room where you will be comfortable and will not be disturbed. You can take a glass of water.
During the interview answer your questions honestly and if you are not sure about something do not try to guess the answer. Remember, the Interviewer is not assessing you, so you will not be marked down. Listen carefully to the questions being asked and try to answer them briefly. Try to relax. This may seem difficult but remember this is your opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned during your studies.
You should discuss this with your Learning Partner. If the local legislative guidance for your country permits it, it may be possible to arrange for the interview to be done face-to face. One of purposes of the closing interview is to confirm your identity. Unfortunately, it is not possible to do this by telephone alone. If safe alternative arrangements cannot be made, then there is the option to postpone this final stage until it is safe to complete a face-to-face interview. You should contact your Learning Partner if you have any questions relating to your closing interview.
This question answer blog is extracted from the “NEBOSH Open Book Learner Guide 050620” after modifying the difficult vocabulary keeping in view the English language barrier for local candidates. We apology from NEBOSH and learners if any content/changes/modification omits some error or misconception. You can download the complete original “NEBOSH Open Book Learner Guide 050620” by clicking here.