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The NEBOSH Construction Certificate, officially the NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction (UK), is the NEBOSH qualification for people who manage health and safety on a building site. It has one assessed unit, CN1, a 48 hour open book examination that includes a scenario-based risk assessment, and it applies the same management thinking as the General Certificate to construction hazards and CDM 2015.
What is its proper name?
NEBOSH calls it the Health and Safety Management for Construction (UK). It replaced the older NEBOSH Certificate in Construction Health and Safety (the National Certificate, with its separate written exam and practical unit) in 2021, and NEBOSH revised it again for 2025. Most people, and most job adverts, still call it the NEBOSH Construction Certificate. It is a certificate-level qualification, the same level as the NEBOSH General Certificate, and there is also an international version built around ILO guidance rather than UK law. If NEBOSH is new to you, start with our guide what is NEBOSH.
Who is it for?
- Site managers responsible for day-to-day health and safety
- Supervisors and foremen who have taken on formal safety duties
- Health and safety advisors moving into construction
- Clients and contractors who need to understand their CDM duties properly
There are no entry requirements. NEBOSH recommends a standard of English equivalent to IELTS 6.0, because the assessment is written and is offered in English only.
What does it cover?
The syllabus has 13 elements, and it follows the site, where the risks change as the project moves on:
- The law: the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and CDM 2015
- Safety culture, risk assessment and managing change on a live site
- Excavation, demolition, mobile plant and vehicles
- Working at height, work equipment and electricity
- Fire, and chemical and biological agents
- Musculoskeletal health and load handling, and physical and psychological health
NEBOSH recommends around 118 hours of learning in total: 70 taught hours, 40 hours of self-study and 8 hours for the assessment.
How is it assessed?
There is one unit, CN1 (Managing construction safely). It is an open book examination built on a realistic construction scenario, completed online and submitted within 48 hours. It mixes questions on the theory, questions on applying it to the scenario, and a full risk assessment of the site described. NEBOSH sets and marks it, and a short online closing interview follows to confirm the work is your own. It tests whether you can apply what you know, not whether you can remember it. Our guide to answering NEBOSH scenario-based assessments explains how to approach it.
The pass mark is 45%. Results are graded Pass (45 to 64%), Credit (65 to 74%) or Distinction (75% and above).
Construction Certificate or General Certificate?
| Qualification | Best suited to |
|---|---|
| NEBOSH Construction Certificate | One unit (CN1). Best if everything you manage is a construction site. Covers CDM 2015 in depth. |
| NEBOSH General Certificate | Two units (GNC1 and GNC2). Best if your role spans sectors, and the one most job adverts name. |
| SMSTS | A CITB site management course, often what a principal contractor asks for. A different kind of qualification. |
Holding one does not stop you taking the other, and plenty of people end up with both as their role grows.
How can you study it with Acadame?
We run the NEBOSH Construction Certificate as a classroom course at our centres, live online, and onsite for contractors who would rather train a site team together anywhere in the UK. Course dates include registration for the assessment. Service leavers can use ELCAS funding towards it.
What you get at the end
- The NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction (UK) certificate
- Associate membership of IIRSM (AIIRSM)
- A route into construction health and safety roles, or on to the NEBOSH Diploma
As a Gold NEBOSH Learning Partner, we give every candidate a named Individual Learning Advisor, from the Welcome Meeting to a review once the result is in.
Frequently asked questions
How many units does the NEBOSH Construction Certificate have?
One. CN1 is a 48 hour open book examination based on a construction scenario, including a risk assessment, followed by a short closing interview.
Do I need any qualifications first?
No. NEBOSH recommends English to IELTS 6.0 standard because the assessment is written.
How long does it take?
NEBOSH recommends around 118 hours in total: 70 taught hours, 40 hours of self-study and 8 hours for the assessment.
Is it better than the General Certificate?
Neither is better. Construction suits people who manage sites; General suits roles across several sectors.
Read the source
Facts are drawn from the NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction (UK) learning partner syllabus guide (version 1.3), NEBOSH’s announcement of the qualification, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Acadame’s own course pages. Facts checked on 6 November 2026.
Upcoming NEBOSH dates
Straight from the booking system, so this block is never out of date.
Prices exclude VAT. Dates and places update automatically.
