CCERS explained: getting your exam and course fees refunded

The Clinical Course and Exam Refund Scheme (CCERS) refunds the full cost of exams and clinical courses on an HSE-approved list once you have passed. It is separate from your TSS allowance, so claiming through the right scheme can save you hundreds of euro. Here is how the 2026 rules work.

CCERS and TSS side by side

	CCERS	TSS
What it covers	Only exams and courses on the approved list	Exams, courses, conferences and items that meet the TSS criteria
How much	The full cost of the listed exam or course	Up to your annual allowance (€1,250 to €2,500, by grade)
Do you need to pass?	Yes. Refunds follow a pass or a completed course	No. Failed CCERS exams can be claimed here
Deadline	Six months from the exam or course	The end of the training year
Uses your TSS balance?	No	Yes
Travel and accommodation	Claimed under the TSS, not CCERS	Covered for eligible items, and for passed CCERS exams

The rules

• The exam or course must be on the approved list. If it isn’t specifically named, it isn’t eligible, and the guidance says no exceptions will be made. Items that aren’t on the list may still be claimable under the TSS.
• One refund per exam or course. The HSE funds each course or successful exam once per doctor. You can claim a clinical course again for re-certification after the certification period.
• Six months. Apply to your current employer within six months of the date of the exam or course.
• Courses must be done in Ireland (the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland).
• Exams must be sat in the Republic of Ireland under the relevant Irish postgraduate training body. The exception is exams marked with an asterisk on the list, which are approved for sitting abroad, such as the MRCEM and MRCPsych papers and the intercollegiate surgical exams.
• No double claiming. You can’t claim residual costs of a CCERS-refunded exam under the TSS, or claim the same item under both schemes.

What is on the list

Clinical courses: BLS/AED, ACLS, ATLS, APLS, EPLS, PLS, PALS, the Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP), the Immediate Care courses (cardiac, trauma and paediatrics), CCrISP, ALERT, MedicALS and VESAP.

Exams: membership and fellowship exams across anaesthesiology, emergency medicine, general practice, general medicine (MRCPI), geriatric medicine and endocrinology specialty certificates, obstetrics and gynaecology, occupational medicine, ophthalmology, paediatrics, pathology, psychiatry, public health medicine, radiology, sports and exercise medicine, and surgery.

The full list, with codes and the exams approved for sitting abroad, is in Appendix One of the CCERS guidance document.

CCERS for GP trainees

The general practice exams on the list are the three MICGP membership exams:

• MICGP Core Knowledge Test (CKT)
• MICGP Clinical Competency Test 1 (CCT1)
• MICGP Clinical Competency Test 2 (CCT2)

These must be sat in Ireland. When you pass, claim the full fee through CCERS within six months, and claim any travel, accommodation and subsistence separately under the TSS. If a sitting is unsuccessful, you can claim that attempt under the TSS, as long as you have enough balance.

Several courses that GP trainees often need are on the list too, including BLS, ACLS, the paediatric life support courses, NRP and the Immediate Care courses.

What isn’t on the list: the ICGP GP training recruitment SJT and CPST, application fees, and exam preparation of any kind (question banks, mock exams and revision courses, ours included). Preparation for CCERS-listed exams such as the MICGP can be claimed under the TSS instead; see our TSS guide.

How to claim

1. Pass the exam or complete the course. Refunds are only paid afterwards.
2. Gather your documents: the receipt for the fee, and your exam result or course certificate.
3. Apply in the CCERS section of your NER account, to your current employer, within six months of the exam or course date.
4. Claim travel and accommodation separately under the TSS. Include proof of attendance, but not the exam receipt, as that goes through CCERS.

Common mistakes

• Claiming a passed CCERS exam under the TSS. It uses up your allowance for no reason, and once the TSS claim is approved you can’t switch it to CCERS.
• Missing the six-month window. You can still claim under the TSS if the exam meets its criteria, but it comes out of your allowance.
• Sitting an Irish exam abroad. Unless the exam has an asterisk on the list, it must be sat in the Republic of Ireland to qualify.
• Assuming an exam is covered. If it isn’t named on the list, CCERS won’t pay. Check the list before you book.