Exam Skills

Element IC1 GENERAL WORKPLACE ISSUES

It should go without saying that to achieve the NEBOSH International Diploma you will need to work carefully
through your course. But you also need to perform when it really matters - in the exam.
As you work through the course I’m going to help you build up your confidence in preparation for the exam day.
Before we get any further, let’s just outline some basic information about the exam itself:
• You have three hours to complete the exam, plus 10 minutes reading time.
• There are two sections:
–– Section A: six compulsory question (10 marks each).
–– Section B: you can choose to answer three questions from five on the paper (20 marks per question).
So there are 120 marks available in total.
The exam questions require you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the elements you have
studied as part of your course – and to show that you can apply your knowledge and understanding to both familiar
and unfamiliar situations.
That might sound daunting, but basic exam technique is really quite simple (as long as you know the information,
of course!). Essentially, what you need to do is:
• Step 1: Read each question carefully.
• Step 2: Review the marks available (consider how long you should spend on the question and how many points
of information you need to include).
• Step 3: Highlight the key action words.
• Step 4: Read the question again.
• Step 5: Plan your answer (using mind maps, bullet points, etc.) so that you have a structure to work to.
• Step 6: Answer the question in full, keeping a close eye on the time (allow 15 minutes for a Section A, 10 mark
question, and 30 minutes for a Section B, 20 mark question).
You will find more guidance as you work through the course along with plenty of sample/practice questions. It’s
really important that you complete these and get in touch with a tutor if you have any queries or there is anything
you are struggling with.

Hints and Tips

Taking notice of the action verbs when answering questions is essential. NEBOSH have published the
following guide to understanding the action verbs:

Action Verb Meaning

Define Provide a generally recognised definition
Describe Give a word picture
Explain Give a clear account of, or reasons for
Give Provide without explanation (used usually with the instruction “give an example of…”
Identify Select and name
List Provide list without explanation
Outline Give the most important features of (less depth than “explain” or “describe” but
more depth than “list”)
Sketch Provide a simple line drawing with labels to identify specific features
State Less demanding form of “define”, or where there is no generally recognised definition

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Element IC1 GENERAL WORKPLACE ISSUES

We have provided some sample answers that a student may give, together with some possible answer points that
the examiners indicated that they would expect to see covered. They are summarised from examiners’ reports,
but neither the student response nor the possible answer points are model answers. The possible answers
are also NOT provided as a full answer – in an exam you would need to expand upon the bullet points, taking
into account the action verbs, in order to answer the question correctly. Providing the examiner with such a brief
answer would not attract good marks.

Hints and Tips

As a rough guide, you will be expected to provide one answer point for each mark available in a
sub-question, i.e. two points should be included to gain full marks for a two mark sub-question, eight
points for an eight mark sub-question, etc.
However, if you have time, try to include an extra answer point or two where you can – this will
increase your chances of gaining full marks.
A word of warning, though; keep your eye on the clock. It’s important not to spend too long on a
particular question and run out of time at the end as a result. The real key to success is answering all
the questions you need to and answering them well!

You will find more guidance as you work through the course, along with plenty of practice questions. It’s really
important that you complete these and get in touch with a tutor if you have any queries or there is anything you
are struggling with.

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Taking into account what we have just covered on exam technique, consider the following question:

Question
(a) Give the meaning of the term ‘confined space’. (2)

(b) Outline the factors that should be considered to ensure that emergency rescue arrangements for
confined space work are suitable and sufficient. (8)

Approaching the Question

Now think about the steps you would take to answer the question:

Step 1: Read the question carefully.

Step 2: Consider the marks available. In this question there are 10 marks available, with two allocated
to part (a) and eight to part (b). In part (b) you should provide eight factors (however, if you
suggest 10 you will increase the likelihood of gaining full marks). The question should take
around 15 minutes.
Step 3: Highlight the key words. In this case, they might look like this:

(a) Give the meaning of the term ‘confined space’. (2)

(b) Outline the factors that should be considered to ensure that emergency rescue
arrangements for confined space work are suitable and sufficient. (8)
Step 4: Read the question again to make sure you understand it and have a clear understanding of the
two systems. (Re-read your notes if you need to.)
Step 5: It is important to pay attention to the action verbs, as these indicate the depth of the answer
that NEBOSH are looking for. When you are asked to “give” you are expected to provide the
information without explanation. For an “outline” you should provide a brief explanation (maybe
a sentence or two). Many candidates fail to provide the right level of depth after ignoring the
action verbs and as a result fail to gain good marks.
Step 6: Now have a go at the question, basing your answer on the key words that you have highlighted.
When you have finished have a look at the following comments and guidance.

Possible Answer by Exam Candidate

(a) A confined space is any enclosed space such as a chamber, pit, tank or trench, where, due to the enclosed
nature, there is a reasonably foreseeable specified risk, such as lack of oxygen or drowning.
(b) Factors to be considered to ensure that emergency rescue arrangements are suitable and sufficient include:
–– The nature of the confined space – the nature of the hazards contained within the space, e.g. chemical
vapours or free flowing solids.
–– The ease of access into the space – whether access is needed from above, e.g. through a tank hatch, at
height, or via an access door, etc.
–– The means of raising alarm in the event of an emergency – whether radios or telephones are in use.
–– The personnel who would carry out a rescue, whether they are on-site personnel or external emergency
services.
–– Whether first aid provision is available and whether the personnel are trained to enter confined spaces.
–– Whether the rescue personnel are trained to use breathing apparatus to effect a rescue.
–– The rescue equipment required to lower personnel into a vessel or extract a casualty, e.g. harness, life-
line and tripod with winch.

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–– The firefighting equipment required, e.g. careful selection so as not to introduce a hazard into the
confined space, such as an asphyxiant.
–– The training provided for workers in the confined space, and rescue teams who may be called to enter
a space.
–– The need to practice emergency procedures in order to ensure that their skills are up to date.

Hints and Tips

Don’t worry too much about the grammar and spelling in your answer, but the examiner MUST be
able to understand what you are trying to say. There must be a logical flow to the information you
provide and this is where your Answer Plan is so important.
When a question is asked in two parts, as this one is, it’s important that you present each sub-
question separately and label them clearly.
Also remember that the examiner MUST be able to read your handwriting – if they can’t read what
you have written, they can’t award you any marks!

Suggested Answer Outline

For part (a) the examiner would expect you to show that you understand the meaning of “confined space” and
marks would be available for an explanation something like the following:
“A confined space is any enclosed or partially enclosed place such as a chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, pipe,
sewer or flue or other similar space in which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably foreseeable
specified risk such as a lack of oxygen, fire, drowning in liquids or the possibility of drowning in free flowing solids.”
For part (b) the examiner would expect you to outline eight (remember, there are eight marks available for this
part) of the following factors for emergency rescue (along with examples):
• Characteristics of the confined space (size, location, etc.).
• Specific risks associated with the confined space, e.g. oxygen depletion, noxious vapours, fire, drowning in
liquids, being engulfed in solids.
• The risks of entering in an emergency.
• How a rescue would take place.
• The provisions in place for communication and raising the alarm in an emergency.
• Whether a rescue needs to be carried out from inside or outside of the confined space.
• The rescue equipment which is required for the task.
• Whether staff know how to use rescue equipment.
• Other plant in the area that may impact the rescue.
• Whether an emergency rescue would be carried out by on site personnel or the external emergency services
and how the emergency services would be contacted.
• First aid provision.
• Training/refresher training.
• Types of emergencies that may be encountered including fire.
• The types of injuries that may be encountered and therefore the rescue techniques that may be needed.
An exam candidate would achieve poor marks for not being aware that the question asked about emergency
rescue and answering it as a general confined space entry question.

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