Certified Association Executive (CAE) Information

The Certified Association Executive (CAE) program is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and designate association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of association management.

CAE Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to take the CAE exam, you must:

Meet work experience, bachelor’s degree, and professional development criteria
Commit to upholding the ASAE Standards of Conduct
Pay an application fee ($500 for ASAE members; $750 for nonmembers)

Preparing and Taking the Exam

Once you fulfill the prerequisites and intend to sit for the exam within the next 12 months, submit your completed application
Review the list of core resources and the CAE exam content outline
Purchase the CAE Study Guide (2020 Edition) - currently on backorder
Key Concepts Flashcards - available through Michigan SAE

Application Deadlines

The application deadline for the May 2021 exam is Friday, February 26, 2021.
The application deadline for the December 2021 exam is Friday, September 24, 2021.

VSAE Resources

VSAE is a CAE Approved Provider. Every program which qualifies for CAE credit will clearly identify the number of eligible CAE credits and we maintain records of your registration in accord with CAE policies.

Opportunities to Earn CAE Hours:

Annual Conference, AMC Retreat, CEO & Senior Staff Retreat, Meeting Planning Summit, and Fall Conference
Monthly seminars (both in-person and virtual)
Special Interest Group (SIG) programs
Online learning - monthly webinars through VSAE’s partnership with SeminarWeb
Association Leadership Virginia
CAE Study Group

CAE Study Group

VSAE offers a facilitated CAE Study Course at no cost to VSAE members in the early fall for the December exam and late winter for the May exam. The course is free to VSAE members; non-members may participate for $100.

Course Includes:

Weekly Zoom sessions focused on each of the 8 domains (Tuesdays, 8:30-10:00 am)
Review of study questions with experienced CAEs and peers
Recordings of meetings available
Optional review session immediately prior to the exam
12 CAE Hours (for those taking the December exam)

For more information, contact Terry Monroe ([email protected]).

The Spring CAE Study Group begins Tuesday, February 23, 2021 and meets virtually every Tuesday (except March 30), from 8:30-10:00 a.m., through April 27. Please register for clicking the purple button below.

In addition to our CAE Study Group, VSAE is partnering with the Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) in offering their CAE Full Preparation Course. Participants receive a detailed study plan, weekly quick key assessments, webinar debriefs and discussion posts, two mini exams and a full, online simulated exam with debriefs. VSAE members save $200 on the course registration. Learn more and register.

Tracking Your CAE Credit Hours

VSAE members can view and print a record of CAE-eligible events for which they have registered from January 2020 to present. To access your registration record, follow these steps:

Log in at vsae.org.
Click on the "Mbr Center-My VSAE" blue menu tab.
Click on "CEU Tracking".
Your current CAE credit hours will appear. You can filter by date range, category, etc.
In the upper right corner is a button to Export a pdf.

* VSAE is verifying your registration only for these events. It is each individual's responsibility to account for his or her actual attendance.
* If you need information prior to January 2020, there is a record of all events for which you have registered since 2015 in your profile under "Submissions".
* Please allow 1-2 weeks after an event for CEU credits to be processed.

VSAE also produces a yearly checklist all events that qualify for CAE credit. Print a copy of the checklist and mark those events you attended to calculate your CAE hours for application or renewal. Anyone renewing their CAE is required to fulfill one of their 40 credits with an ethics-focused credit.