How to Prepare for the IEMA Foundation Certificate Online Exam
If you're considering taking the IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management, you'll probably be wondering what the exams are like. What do they cover? How hard are they? What are my chances of passing? These are all valid questions that our learners ask before they book their course.
What is the IEMA Foundation Certificate Exam?
Unlike more traditional exams, the IEMA Foundation Certificate exam is done online so you can decide to take it whenever you feel ready. The exam is in a multiple choice format with 30 questions, each with 4 possible answers, one of which is correct.
You’ll have 1-hour to complete the exam, which works out at around 2 minutes per question. Each question is worth 1 mark and you’ll need to correctly answer 21 questions (70%) to pass.
Is the IEMA Foundation Certificate Exam Hard?
The exam is open book which means that you can refer to books, course notes or even the internet to help you. Don’t be fooled by this though – with only an hour to complete the exam you can easily end up wasting a lot of time trying to look up answers. You still need to apply yourself and be familiar with the material to be in with a chance of passing.
You’ll get lots of support and exam tips throughout your course to help you prepare for your exam. You can also see some sample questions so you have an idea of what you'll be asked.
When and Where Do I Take the IEMA Foundation Certificate Exam?
The IEMA Foundation Certificate exam is extremely flexible because you can take it wherever you like - at work, at home, in a library - wherever you feel most comfortable. Once you’ve been registered by your course provider, you’ll receive an email from IEMA with details on how to access your exam and a completion deadline.
You’ll be given a 28-day window to complete it starting the 1st of the month after you’ve taken your course and ending on the 28th.
When Do I Get My IEMA Foundation Certificate Results?
Straight away! As soon as you’ve completed the exam, you’ll be given your marks and be told whether you’ve passed or failed. Provided you’ve passed, you’ll receive your IEMA Foundation Certificate in the post within 6-8 weeks of taking your exam.
For more information about the IEMA Foundation Certificate exam, you can click the button below.
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"excellent trainer easy to follow and good mixture of team discussions."
Keith03.04.2025 -
"covered a lot of my day to day tasks, easy to follow on the second week, found the first week it difficult to see what was required and understand."
Keith03.04.2025 -
"Very impressed with the training content, it was delivered in a user friendly way and made easy to understand, communication and resources was excellent throughout"
Mark02.04.2025 -
"Lots of detail but delivered in such a way to make it easy to understand, the resources and advice given throughout the course was first class."
Mark02.04.2025 -
"The tutor was excellent, and the course was designed so that the information was easy to digest and understand through real-life scenarios. The problem-based learning approach and active participation in classroom discussions and homework exercises helped me pass the exam on my first attempt."
01.04.2025 -
"The two weeks of comprehensive in-class training, coupled with the gaps between the exams, provided ample time for preparation and reflection on what I learned in the classroom. NG2 was very interesting, and the classroom exercises helped me grasp the theme of assessment, specifically how (RMs) were assessed."
01.04.2025 -
"The online learning portal was easy and straight forward to use, it was well laid out and had fantastic online resource sections which were great for printing out to have to hand - especially handy for highlighting important points. I had purchased the NEBOSH Managing Health and Safety book to help with my study, but in all honesty, the information in the portal covered all the relevant material anyway. I only needed to phone for assistance on a couple of occasions, but found the guidance helpful and quick."
Chris25.03.2025 -
"Having a secondary role at work as a Health and Safety coordinator means passing the NEBOSH General Certificate is a great indication of the knowledge and understanding I have achieved so far. This is a staple qualification in this field and I now have the confidence to venture into Health and Safety in a more primary role and as a progression of career."
Chris25.03.2025 -
"Clear and concise. A lot of information delivered in an easy to digest format. Trainer was engaging and positive, as well as easy to talk to and ask questions. Tech was good and all the materials provided/used were/are helpful."
Kerrina09.04.2025 -
"Clear and concise. A lot of information delivered in an easy to digest format. Trainer was engaging and positive, as well as easy to talk to and ask questions. Tech was good and all the materials provided/used were/are helpful."
Kerrina09.04.2025 -
"excellent trainer easy to follow and good mixture of team discussions."
Keith03.04.2025 -
"covered a lot of my day to day tasks, easy to follow on the second week, found the first week it difficult to see what was required and understand."
Keith03.04.2025 -
"Very impressed with the training content, it was delivered in a user friendly way and made easy to understand, communication and resources was excellent throughout"
Mark02.04.2025 -
"Lots of detail but delivered in such a way to make it easy to understand, the resources and advice given throughout the course was first class."
Mark02.04.2025 -
"The tutor was excellent, and the course was designed so that the information was easy to digest and understand through real-life scenarios. The problem-based learning approach and active participation in classroom discussions and homework exercises helped me pass the exam on my first attempt."
01.04.2025 -
"The two weeks of comprehensive in-class training, coupled with the gaps between the exams, provided ample time for preparation and reflection on what I learned in the classroom. NG2 was very interesting, and the classroom exercises helped me grasp the theme of assessment, specifically how (RMs) were assessed."
01.04.2025 -
"The online learning portal was easy and straight forward to use, it was well laid out and had fantastic online resource sections which were great for printing out to have to hand - especially handy for highlighting important points. I had purchased the NEBOSH Managing Health and Safety book to help with my study, but in all honesty, the information in the portal covered all the relevant material anyway. I only needed to phone for assistance on a couple of occasions, but found the guidance helpful and quick."
Chris25.03.2025 -
"Having a secondary role at work as a Health and Safety coordinator means passing the NEBOSH General Certificate is a great indication of the knowledge and understanding I have achieved so far. This is a staple qualification in this field and I now have the confidence to venture into Health and Safety in a more primary role and as a progression of career."
Chris25.03.2025 -
"Clear and concise. A lot of information delivered in an easy to digest format. Trainer was engaging and positive, as well as easy to talk to and ask questions. Tech was good and all the materials provided/used were/are helpful."
Kerrina09.04.2025 -
"Clear and concise. A lot of information delivered in an easy to digest format. Trainer was engaging and positive, as well as easy to talk to and ask questions. Tech was good and all the materials provided/used were/are helpful."
Kerrina09.04.2025 -
"excellent trainer easy to follow and good mixture of team discussions."
Keith03.04.2025 -
"covered a lot of my day to day tasks, easy to follow on the second week, found the first week it difficult to see what was required and understand."
Keith03.04.2025 -
"Very impressed with the training content, it was delivered in a user friendly way and made easy to understand, communication and resources was excellent throughout"
Mark02.04.2025 -
"Lots of detail but delivered in such a way to make it easy to understand, the resources and advice given throughout the course was first class."
Mark02.04.2025 -
"The tutor was excellent, and the course was designed so that the information was easy to digest and understand through real-life scenarios. The problem-based learning approach and active participation in classroom discussions and homework exercises helped me pass the exam on my first attempt."
01.04.2025 -
"The two weeks of comprehensive in-class training, coupled with the gaps between the exams, provided ample time for preparation and reflection on what I learned in the classroom. NG2 was very interesting, and the classroom exercises helped me grasp the theme of assessment, specifically how (RMs) were assessed."
01.04.2025