How to Book PRES Level 2: Dates, Fee, Deadlines and Withdrawal

The published sittings

The Council's page lists only these two dates. No 2027 dates were published when we checked, so any website that lists 2027 sittings is predicting. The pattern of the first two sittings suggests dates a few times a year, but a pattern is not a schedule. Look at the Council's exam page again at the start of each quarter.

One discrepancy to know about: the PRES Handbook of May 2023 says Level 2 is held in Dublin only, while the live exam page lists Dublin and Dubai. The live page is newer. Use it, and read your confirmation letter for the final venue.

Step by step: from application to exam day

1. Be deemed eligible. The Council reviews your documents and confirms eligibility directly to you. Only then can you apply for a place. Our eligibility guide lists the documents.
2. Wait for the application email. The form is emailed when applications open. If you are eligible and hear nothing as a deadline approaches, write to the Council quoting your reference number.
3. Complete the form. You choose Dublin or Dubai. You can give preferences, because places are limited.
4. Email the form to pres@mcirl.ie and pay the fee. Place allocation starts only when both the form and the payment have been received.
5. Wait for allocation. The Council allocates places strictly in order of receipt. Late applicants may be given their second or later preference, or a place on a standby list.
6. Read the confirmation letter. It arrives about seven days before the exam and states the exam time, the venue name and address and what to bring.

Fees

The Council's fees page lists the PRES Level 2 exam fee at €352 under pre-registration examinations, and PRES Level 3 at €1,500. The exam page itself gives no amount and refers you to the fees section. The fees page also says there will be increases of 10% with the 2026 retention process and a further 10% in 2027. We could not confirm from the page whether the €352 figure is the amount before or after the first increase, so we label it as a listed figure and ask you to confirm it when you receive your application form.

The costs people forget are around the exam. Certificates of Good Standing from each registration body have their own charges. Notarised or attested passport copies cost something. EPIC verification of your degree has its own fee. Flights and a hotel can exceed the exam fee, especially for the Level 3 sitting, which is held at Irish venues. Add these to your budget before you commit to a date.

Withdrawal, absence and cancellation

• Withdraw by email. Notify pres@mcirl.ie immediately, quoting your reference number.
• Deadline matters. If you withdraw after the application deadline, or do not attend, the full exam fee is forfeited.
• No transfers. The Council does not allow a transfer to another venue, another session or a later Level 2.
• Not an attempt. Withdrawing does not count as an attempt, and neither does failing to attend. The two-year eligibility clock keeps running.
• The Council may change the date. It can cancel a date or venue if candidate numbers are insufficient or circumstances are beyond its control. Candidates are then moved to the next available date or venue.

Keeping your details correct

You must tell the Council of any change to your personal details, such as your address or passport information, as soon as possible. Email pres@mcirl.ie with your reference number. Passport details matter because the Council uses your passport as the basis of your identity. An expired passport before the sitting is a problem you want to find out about in advance, not on the day.

A budget worksheet

Write down every cost before you pay for a sitting, then add a margin. The exam fee is the one number the Council publishes. The others are yours to find.

1. Documents. Include the cost of each Certificate of Good Standing, any notarisation or attestation of your passport, and EPIC verification of your degree.
2. The Level 2 fee. Use the amount on your application form, not the amount you remember.
3. Travel. Flights, local transport and a hotel for the night before. If you sit in Dubai or Dublin from a third country, include any visa costs.
4. A second attempt. Many candidates pass first time, but the Council allows up to three attempts, and a plan that cannot afford a second sitting is fragile.
5. Level 3. The fee is listed at €1,500, and the venues are in Ireland, so include travel and accommodation.
6. Preparation. Books, a question bank and any time away from paid work.

Frequently missed deadlines

Most lost fees come from the same few mistakes. Candidates miss the application deadline by assuming a few days of grace. They send the form without the payment, so their place is not allocated. They withdraw by phone or by a message to the wrong address instead of emailing pres@mcirl.ie with their reference. They forget that the confirmation letter, which arrives about a week before the exam, is the only place that confirms the venue address and what to bring. And they treat the two-year window as a reason to relax, when it is the reason to plan each attempt carefully.

What the confirmation letter should tell you

The Council says the confirmation letter states the exam time, the venue name and address and what to bring. Check each item the day it arrives. Compare the name on the letter with your passport exactly. Confirm that the venue is the city you chose. Note the reporting time, and plan to arrive early. If anything is wrong, email pres@mcirl.ie at once, quoting your reference number, because errors found on the day cannot be fixed on the day. Keep a copy of the letter on paper and on your phone, though check the letter for any rule about phones in the hall.

Choosing between sittings

Work back from the deadline, not the exam. For a November sitting the deadline was in late September, which meant being eligible and ready to apply well before that. Three questions decide the choice.

1. Are you eligible yet? If your documents are still being assessed, the sitting you want may close before you can apply.
2. Are your timed practice results steady? Book when your mixed timed blocks have been stable for a fortnight. Booking to create pressure tends to produce a forfeited fee.
3. Which venue suits you? Dublin and Dubai both appear on the live page. Choose by travel, visa and cost, and keep a second preference in case your first is full.

If you are also considering PLAB 1, compare costs and exemptions before you pay for either. The article on PRES Level 2 compared with PLAB 1 sets out the two side by side, and the PLAB 1 hub covers the UK exam in detail.

Where to check, and when

Three Council pages hold the facts: the Level 2 exam page for dates and booking, the Level 2 information page for eligibility documents, and the fees page for amounts. Look at all three on the day you apply, and again when you receive your form. If a number on this page differs from the Council page, the Council page is right.

If the Council changes a date

The Council may cancel an exam date or venue when numbers are too low or when circumstances are beyond its control, and it then moves candidates to the next available date or venue. Keep your flights and hotel flexible until the confirmation letter arrives, and read any email from pres@mcirl.ie the day it comes. A moved sitting does not use an attempt, but it can change how much of your two-year window is left, so recalculate your plan at once.