- Be 16-years-old or over at the time of the assessment
- Have a good level of fitness
- Surface dive to a depth of 1.5 metres
- Tread water for two minutes
- Climb out of deep water unaided and without steps
- Be competent at swimming in the sea
- Be able to swim 400m in less than eight minutes

- Module 1 – Beach Lifeguarding – Knowledge and Understanding
- Module 2 – Life Support and First Aid
- Module 3 – Ocean Skills
- Module 4 – Pool Skills

The NVBLQ assessment takes place at the end of the course. It determines your competence, skills and knowledge of working as a beach lifeguard and assesses your ability to apply the skills and knowledge in a beach environment.

The assessment is split into five elements: - Beach Lifeguard and First Aid Theory
- Life Support and First Aid
- First Aid Practical
- Ocean Skills
- Pool Skills