Hi, I'm doing the NCRQ mainly because of the speed which i can finish the course, yes whilst i agree HSD2 gets you a certificate Level 6 in Personal Injury Liability, which seems to be odd, the bonus is no exams or extra payments unlike Nebosh. The final part HSD3 in workplace hazards will finally get you a Diploma and you can get your GradIOSH with that. The whole NCRQ route is new and looks promising, I'm also doing my Nebosh National Certificate in Construction health & Safety, so i guess i will try them both out Good luck in what you decide

If your ultimate goal is CMIOSH which one is best is really down to you. NCRQ have muddied the water a bit by insisting their "certificate" is level 6 whereas so far as IOSH is concerned its NEBOSH certificate equivalent. So far as I am aware none has yet "passed" NCRQ diploma yet so its anyones guess if its a good route to CMIOSH. Whats for sure there is no easy route to CMIOSH and thats as it should be. Otherwise is would not be worth having.

In my experience it depends on the employer, some people look down on NVQ, rightly or wrongly. I know senior managers who would not employ someone with an NVQ even if they are CMIOSH. Also many job adverts ask for Diploma not NVQ. You have to remember that unqualified people in H&S are often doing the recruiting so could be swayed by the Diploma. Therefore I would suggest that you chose what will suit you better.

I hold two qualifications that allowed me to obtain Grad IOSH. Neither of them are NEBOSH, NVQ level 5 or NCRQ. Those aren't the only three qualifications options and I implore you to look at others. I achieved my second qualification because I would like a MSc. The first qualification (from another country) I had, did not allow me to progress onto the final modules for the MSc (although it helped me achieve Grad IOSH) at the University I wanted to go to. So I had to complete 6 modules, which I duly did in 13 months and achieved a Post Grad Diploma. I loved it. I have one more big module to finish and I'll achieve a MSc. Nevertheless, the point I am trying to make is that a PGDip is ranked as a higher qualification (level 7) then the NEBOSH diploma (level 6) and depending on the University will be seen as more prestigious. Its costs more though. But....with so many NEBOSH diploma holders supposedly walking around, it will make me stand out more! :-) I think each qualification offers something different, and doing well in one doesn't guarantee you will do well in another so you must pick one that will your suit aptitude, availability and budget. Every employer will have their viewpoint / prejudice though, so choose wisely in line with the type of employer you hope to pitch your services at.

Check out this thread in study forum: http://forum.iosh.co.uk/...spx?g=posts&t=120473 I've just started ncrq and I'm really happy I've chosen this path.

Diploma offer a great deal of knowledge but not always knowledge you'll need or use. Consider also the period of time over which the knowledge is accrued and how your role / career may change in that time. NVQs in 3 months are rare and questionable.Presenting evidence against the standards is one thing, demonstrating that the evidence is being consistently applied in your role through a variety of assessment methods is far more important and should be the mark of a good assessor / candidate relationship. A candidate who learns to develop a wide variety of evidence to different scenarios in the NVQ is in my book better prepared to move forward to CMIOSH. The reason being is that they can furnish their CPD better as they understand the meaning of 'reflection' better and have a wider range of experiences (activities) to populate their CPD. Also when they get to the peer interview they can look back at a far more relevant development period where they can show application.

Someone finding a gem of wisdom they posted on the forum many moons ago that is just as relevant today and in a new post aka nothing new under the sun.

Edited by user 08 January 2020 19:19:13(UTC)  | Reason: FFS