Things I Daydream About for the CAE Credential
We all have those times when we stare off into space, daydreaming about one thing or another. Since I do so much CAE education, I often find myself thinking, “It would be great if the CAE program was like this . . . or offered that . . . or was better respected.” We’ve come to the end of our Rogue Tulips Education Spring Session, so my mind tends in this direction this time of year.
The thing that is always top of my list for the CAE credential is a validated pass score. I know, I know. LOTS of psychometric calculations are done in the background for each cohort and it is complicated . . .plus it’s what OTHER groups do. But I can think of several groups that have a validated exam with a set pass score. The Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) exam, offered by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, is similar to the CAE Exam and it has a set pass score based on their body of knowledge. There are 100 questions as compared to ASAE’s 200 questions and you get 2 hours to complete the online exam.
With the CNP you find out immediately if you pass. I would love that for CAE Candidates because I have another daydream: CAE Candidates who don’t suffer long waiting periods to get their test results. I cringe whenever I hear about someone waiting weeks and weeks to find out they missed the pass score by 1 or 2 points.
Another recurring daydream I have is a tiered CAE credential program that addresses advances in our careers and different levels of thinking. I would love to see a three-level CAE credential that uses our current exam as the first level since it tests basic knowledge. Then, a more challenging exam for those mid-career professionals who may be running a department or program. The third level would be for those in the C-Suite and focus intensely on strategic thinking.
You wouldn’t be required to pursue the higher levels if you don’t want to but think about the ability to continue learning and be recognized for it! And there would be many opportunities for promoting the nonprofit management profession as a “real” job.
There is so much we could do to elevate the CAE credential. By doing this, we would also elevate our profession and support our colleagues. What a day that would be, but for now, as the song lyric says, “what a day for a daydream . . .”
And to all the CAE Candidates preparing for the May 2025 exam, good luck and best wishes. Remember, as Cheryl Ronk says, “Read the darn question!”
