CER study guide
CER · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) is a professional credential for people who design, administer, fund, or advise on employer-sponsored benefit programs. It suits benefits managers, HR and total rewards specialists, retirement plan administrators, consultants, brokers, and compliance staff who need working command of both health and retirement plans rather than a single specialty. The exam is delivered as multiple choice and is organized into four equally weighted domains: health care and group benefit concepts, design, financing, and regulation; basic retirement plan features, design, and administration; retirement plan funding, investments, and financing; and executive compensation, equity, and fringe benefits. Because the domains carry equal weight, candidates should budget study time evenly rather than over-preparing in a familiar area. The CER study guide has 4 sections and about 1,422 words.
01Employee Benefits: Concepts and Health Care Benefits (Group Health Plan Design, Financing, and Regulation)
This domain tests how group health plans are designed, financed, and regulated in the U.S. Expect questions on ERISA welfare-plan status, ACA market reforms, HIPAA portability, COBRA, Medicare Secondary Payer, and the choice between insured and self-funded arrangements.
380 words, about 2 min02Retirement Plans: Basic Features, Design, and Administration
This domain tests qualified retirement plan rules: eligibility, vesting, coverage, nondiscrimination, contribution limits, distributions, and administration. It covers DB and DC plans, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and ESOPs.
314 words, about 2 min03Retirement Plans: Funding, Investments, and Plan Financing
This domain tests how retirement promises are financed and how plan assets are invested and monitored. It includes DB minimum funding, PBGC premiums, DC trusts, ERISA fiduciary duties, 404(c), QDIAs, and fee disclosure.
369 words, about 2 min04Employee Benefits: Retirement and Other Benefit Plans (Executive Compensation, Equity, and Fringe Benefits)
This domain tests nonqualified deferred compensation, equity awards, executive arrangements, and fringe-benefit exclusions. Expect IRC 409A, 280G, 162(m), ISO/NSO/RSU tax timing, and IRC 132 categories.
359 words, about 2 min