CAE Information


Click here for more information about becoming a CAE!

We have teamed with the MSAE (Michigan Society of Association Executives) for CAE Prep Classes. Michigan SAE extends the member discount to KY Society of Association Executive members. You MUST contact KSAE to get the discount codes. 


The new CAE Study Guide 2023 is out now. The new guide has been updated to reflect the current CAE Core Resources and includes new study questions for each domain, and guiding principles and key terms for each subdomain. The material has also been streamlined and reorganized to help learners make a study plan and prepare for exam day. A huge thank you to the survey respondents from this group who provided insights and recommendations that powered the development of the update!

The new CAE Study Guide 2023 is for sale only in digital format via ASAE Bookshelf. ASAE Bookshelf is ASAE’s brand new digital books platform. It launched at the end of 2022 and now includes all the CAE Core Resources and the CAE Study Guide.

•            Users can highlight key text, make, and create flash cards to study key terms.

•            Great for learning cohorts: Users can share highlights and notes with anyone else who has the same book in ASAE Bookshelf.

•            ASAE Bookshelf is searchable across all purchased texts, so users don’t have to flip through pages or try to remember in which chapter or even which book they read a key insight.

Accessibility:

•            The Bookshelf platform conforms to level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and was "the first in the world" to receive a 100% accessibility score at EPUBtest.org in 2013.

•            Compatibility with screen readers, such as Microsoft Narrator, JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, VoiceOver, and more

•            Common accessibility shortcuts with our scrubber bar, table of contents, and search that make navigation easy.

•            Built-in speech functionality with Read Aloud

•            Users have a choice of fonts, including OpenDyslexic fonts, so users can read in comfort.

•            Content controls, including altering screen colors, night mode, and magnification.

Want to see ASAE Bookshelf in action? Here’s a brief (15 minute or so) overview.


What is the CAE?

For over half a century, the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation remains the symbol for excellence in every facet of association management. The 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. Those who are currently employed with an association and are looking to move into a chief staff position in the near future should consider this certification.

Benefits of Becoming a CAE

  • Self-confidence. 70% of CAE test takers report enhancing knowledge, improving advancement opportunities, and evaluating their status as their motivation.
  • Value and recognition particularly among board leaders, members, and those involved in hiring nonprofit professionals. 
  • Create connections through a range of CAE-only events and increased volunteer leadership opportunities through the MSAE and ASAE. 
     

Requirements to Take the Exam

Candidates are required to be employed full-time for three years as a chief staff executive OR five years as an executive-level, association manager. Candidates must also have 100-hours of broad-based, association management-related professional development within the last five years. This education must be directly related to nonprofit management. It should not be industry-specific, or required for the candidate’s particular position within their organization.

ASAE CAE Approved Provider KSAE is an ASAE CAE Approved Provider