Myth busting
As I’ve said before I have been around for a while and I have lost count of the number of times I have heard things like “NEBOSH ask weird questions” and “you have to say the right buzzwords” and my personal favourite “they need to fail so many people so sometimes you can do really well and they take marks off you anyway”. Utter nonsense. All of it. The new scenario based assessment are carefully written using “plain English” and no “buzzwords” are needed. There is no enigma code for NEBOSH – if they ask you to “explain why…” do just that, explain it.
For reasons of transparency I need to say I’m not currently a NEBOSH examiner – in fact if I was I couldn’t tell you or I’d have to kill you. All of the advice I am about to give is based on 20 years of experience as a tutor (which is incredible as in my head I’m still only 30). I don’t have mark schemes and again even if I did I wouldn’t be allowed to divulge them, they are top secret and classified (think MI5/CIA but a bit more serious!).
What is a Scenario Based Assessment (SBA)?
NEBOSH have moved away from “traditional” exams to open book, “scenario based assessments” – these don’t test your recall of a topic (which would be pointless if you can just look it up) but test whether you can apply your knowledge to the situation in front of you, skills that a safety practitioner needs in the workplace. As I have said in other blogs I think this is an excellent move, it is much more representative of the real world and is a brilliant assessment. Is it easy – absolutely not. Can you pass it, yes of course you can but you will have to give it the respect that it deserves.
The NEBOSH diploma parts DN1/DI1, DN2/DI2 and DN3/DI3 all contain a SBA – DN1/DI1 paper 2 also contains some assessment tasks which are based on your workplace or your practice and I will cover that separately as it’s a bit different. In an SBA you will find a scenario based on a fictitious workplace – this could be anything from a call centre to a garden centre, the location is irrelevant the scenario will be written so that it is accessible to everyone (so if you’ve never worked in a garden centre don’t panic, you’re not alone and it doesn’t matter!)
The key to the SBA is using the scenario, so read it carefully. Think of it as a thriller, a suspenseful novel full of twists and turns, a gripping health and safety “whodunit” and read every word. Then read it again and make scribbles on it and note key interesting points – if this was on the TV what would you be pointing out to your partner, “ooh that’s a breach of the such and such regulations” or “well that’s clearly a confined space”. Obviously don’t tell anyone about your SBA – not only could that be considered malpractice but people will probably look at you strangely and strangers will move away from you in cafes if you engage them in NEBOSH talk.
Follow the Guidance
I’m not going to rehash the NEBOSH guidance here – that’s probably plagiarism and that’s naughty (more about malpractice later) but suffice to say there is some excellent information from NEBOSH in the form of the learner guide and Guidance on SBA available at Resources to help you prepare – NEBOSH. Even the title of the link screams “useful” doesn’t it yet so few students take the time out to look at it. NEBOSH do want you to succeed and this is as important as your textbook when it comes to preparation. I’ve mentioned the syllabus in my part 1 blog so no more on that but it’s still one of the go to documents for me.
To print or not to print, that is the question
Now how you tackle the assessment in practice depends on your learning style. I tend to print things out (but I used to work for a paper company!). Others highlight on the screen, either works but I do find that most people benefit from reading a task and then attacking the scenario with a highlighter in some way. Some also find that printing one copy per question/task helps too so things don’t get too confused, do whatever you find easier.
The importance of evidence.
Read the task and take note of the level of evidence required in the question. The question may say “with reference to the scenario where applicable” in which case answer the question but evidence what you’re saying by using information from the scenario. I think of it as “hunting for clues”, a NEBOSH treasure hunt if you like but you are linking your book knowledge and information you have found by reading around the subject with evidence in the scenario. Other questions may say “from the scenario only” and this is subtly different, now the only information you should give is from the scenario – information from guidance or the book probably won’t attract marks.
NEBOSH have gone to all of the trouble to craft a scenario for you – for goodness sake use it. When I have been asked to give feedback to students on their papers the most common issue I see is that they don’t link to the scenario. It’s not enough to say that “the manager is a problem” tell them why you know the manger is a problem “the manager is creating a poor safety culture in the workplace because they are unapproachable, they are rarely seen on site and when asked for help they shouted at the worker and asked called the worker a fool”. Subtly different but critical – take your idea and support it with evidence.
Provide enough information
When you are trying to work out how much to write first look at the marks available. NEBOSH have never to my knowledge awarded “bonus marks” for saying a magic word – there is generally a mark available for a correct and relevant technical point or fact. So if there are 10 marks available you need to say 10 different things to make the examiner put 10 ticks on the paper. One mark could be for the point you’re making, another for the evidence you use to back it up but don’t stop at 10, feel free to give a few extra just in case you repeat yourself or one of your points is off topic. There is more advice here in the SBA guidance from NEBOSH – definitely recommended reading!
As I have said I have no access to mark schemes but at diploma level it’s highly unlikely that brief, bullet pointed lists of thoughts will be sufficient to gain the marks you want because it frankly never has been enough. You need to provide sufficient detail to demonstrate a diploma level of understanding and here is where your reading around the topic can greatly help. Think about the point you want to make and how you are to convince the examiner that you understand the topic – if you make reference to guidance or law to make a persuasive point then support this with evidence from the scenario then you’re heading in the right direction. Read the scenario carefully, there could be flags in the text that nudge you in the right direction too, for example if the scenario talks about noise in a factory and you know that there are regulations that apply you could make reference to the regulations to show knowledge. But don’t JUST quote the regulations – they want to see you apply the law to the scenario! If there are guidance documents available feel free to use these too and remember to quote your reference sources in the relevant section.
Make it “pop”
Try to break it into chunks and if you can put the key information that you want to convey at the front of the paragraph rather than buried in the woffle. I tend to use a bit of bold here and there to help the examiner along too. At the end of the day if you make the marks jump out of the page for them it will make life easier (hopefully) and that’s always good! Breaking it up helps too – use paragraphs to show where one idea/point ends and another begins.
I mentioned reference sources…
Ah yes – references. It’s great to be well read, in fact it’s essential – look for guidance, look for laws, look for information online and in text books but note down what documents you used! You will need to provide details of the publications or websites you referenced or you risk falling foul of malpractice rules. Trust me, it’s faster if you keep a list (maybe a word document with references per task noted) but if you have to try to remember and find them all at the end you will waste hours of your life that you won’t get back.
Should I include that rant I read on Instabook or FaceCloth?
Whilst social media may be entertaining and in some (limited) cases informative, as a safety pro you will be better off looking for references on websites such as the UK Health and Safety Executive, IOSH or your local government or industry advisory bodies etc. There is also a very helpful magic button on the NEBOSH website – go to the “resources” section of your course and click on “reference sources” for a NEBOSH search engine with some brilliant links. Dave on Tik Tok talking about “health and safety gone mad” is unlikely to be considered an authoritative source.
Malpractice
NEBOSH have strict rules on malpractice – have a look at the learner guide for more information. But basically don’t cheat and you’ll be ok! If you use a reference document include it in the reference section, don’t phone a friend, don’t ask a tutor, don’t ask someone at work “hypothetically if you were removing an asbestos rope seal how would you do it” just go and find out for yourself! Consult with “Dr Google”, that’s perfectly allowed as long as your NEBOSH tutor isn’t actually called Dr Google (incidentally for the answer to the gasket question use a search engine to look for asbestos essentials task sheets).
Trust me you will get found out if you cheat (see the ethical practice reports if you don’t believe me at NEBOSH Ethical Practice Report – NEBOSH). Study groups are great…right up to the point the assessments are released then adopt radio silence and work on your own. The techniques for detecting AI and copying are much cleverer than you think. This may feel new but it isn’t – NEBOSH have been rousting cheats trying to buy answers off the internet for decades – you have been warned.
DN1/DI1 Paper 2
The DN1/DI1 paper 2 is different – it’s not scenario based, it’s based on your workplace and/or you! This calls for some reflective writing. The paper may take topic or specific guidance and ask how well your organisation has implemented the guidance. It could be on anything in the DN1/DI1 course, from risk assessment to consultation or change management. This calls for you to analyse the guidance or the standard and reflect on your organisational practices and give an evaluation. The level of detail may be implied (through the number of marks) or specified (such as the requirement to “give 2 examples….”) There is a really good piece on reflective writing at Home – Reflective writing – Library at University of Hull which includes a video.
When it comes to your own practice again it could ask about whether you display characteristics of a particular leadership style. “Yes I do think I’m a resonant leader” is unlikely to gain the 20 marks available – you need to show what the characteristics are and why you think you display those characteristics giving examples. Examples don’t have to be from the workplace they can be from your out of work life too e.g. I’m a triathlon technical official and some examples I may give could come from my hobby.
Sometimes there is a set format for the answer such as a table to be completed – take the hint and fill in the table. Blank boxes are unlikely to gain marks. Also if NEBOSH ask for a report in a certain format they don’t care that “in the real world” you might combine sections – if they ask for an executive summary and an introduction give them both sections.
Plan to succeed
Finally plan or prepare to refer. The dates for assessments are published well in advance by NEBOSH – obviously life can throw us a curve ball but as much as you can try to plan around those dates. If you know you’re going on holiday for the 2 weeks of the assessment window ask whether now is the right time to be taking the assessment and consider another sitting. Much as I like to think I will produce my best work on the beach with a Pina Colada the reality is likely to be somewhat different. Equally if you are thrown off track by a life event such as illness or bereavement talk to your course provider and consider informing NEBOSH – sometimes additional consideration can be given. If you ask for special consideration once the results are out it’s too late!
Manage your time – it may look like a great paper at first glance but don’t dash off to the pub to celebrate early and then forget to submit it. With the best will in the world an incomplete paper is going to give you incomplete results.
Feedback
NEBOSH have allowed students to obtain a marks breakdown for their papers. This is incredibly useful. You can contact NEBOSH and whilst you don’t receive your marked paper you can get a summary of the marks for each task which is really useful. If you want feedback from a tutor contact your course provider and that should be possible (certainly RRC provide this to their students) but please don’t leave it until the night before the next assessment is released. Whilst we don’t have mark schemes we can see where perhaps students have veered off track or where evidence wasn’t provided to steer them back on course. We can’t obtain your mark breakdown or your paper – you have to give that to us to work with so factor that in too. So if you do refer please don’t be disheartened, it’s not the end of the world, my triathlon coach won’t hear the word “fail” she says it’s short for First Attempt In Learning.
And finally…
When you do get there make sure you go to graduation – it’s a fantastic day and brilliant for us course providers to see you up on stage, I have to admit shedding a little tear in September, I’m an old softie.
See you there in 2024.
Zoe Neasham
RRC Lead Tutor