Certified Association Executive (CAE) Information

 CLICK HERE to learn more about CAE Study Group

CAE Eligibility Requirements

• CAE At-A-Glance (downloadable brochure)
• Meet the work experience, education, and professional development criteria
• Commit to upholding the ASAE Standards of Conduct
• Pay the application fee ($500 for ASAE members; $750 for non-members)

Preparing for 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 (2023 Edition) 
• Key Concepts Flashcards - available through Michigan SAE (purchase) and Quizlet (free)
• 12 Steps for Thinking Through Exam Questions
• Additional exam information from ASAE
• Exam pass rate

Application Deadlines

Exam date: December 1-14, 2024
Application deadline: Friday, September 27, 2024

Exam date: May 1-14, 2025
Application deadline: Friday, February 21, 2025

VSAE Resources

VSAE is a CAE Approved Provider. Every program that qualifies for CAE credit will identify the number of eligible CAE credits and we maintain records of your registration in accordance 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 (members only)
• Online learning - monthly webinars through VSAE’s partnership with SeminarWeb

• CAE Study Group

CAE Study Group

VSAE offers a structured Study Group in the winter/spring (for the May exam) and fall (for the December exam). Each of the nine sessions is led by an experienced CAE.

Members may participate for $0; non-members pay $175.

CLICK HERE for more information about current and upcoming Study Groups.

CAE Study Group Sponsor

CAE Renewal

CAEs due to renew in 2023 must do so by December 31. The online CAE renewal portal automatically syncs with ASAE’s AMS, making the process easier. Those renewing must fulfill one of their 40 credits with an ethics-focused credit. 

Tracking Your CAE Credit Hours

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

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

If you need information prior to January 2020, a record of all events for which you have registered since 2015 is in your profile under "Forms I've Taken". You are responsible for verifying that you attended these events. Please allow 1-2 weeks after an event for CEU credits to be processed.

For non-members, VSAE also produces a yearly checklist of 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.  

2023 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2022 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2021 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2020 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2019 -  Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2018 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2017 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form

2016 - Calendar of Events & CAE hours form