CAE Exam Study Group

A weekly cohort timed to each CAE testing window, spring and winter. Theo Nakashima-Ward, who runs NANA's Learning and Credentialing team and earned his CAE in 2021, and Jonah Whitcombe, who co-leads the group and earned his in 2019, run nine to ten weekly sessions building toward the exam date. The spring cohort tracks the May 1–14 window; the fall cohort tracks the December 1–14 window. NANA pre-approves the credit hours earned here; it does not administer the CAE exam itself, and the exam application, fee, and eligibility review are handled entirely by the CAE program.

A structured review of each domain tested on the exam, paced across the cohort so no single week covers more than one and a half domains.

Two full-length timed practice sections per cohort, scored the same week so participants can see where they stand before the real window opens. Timing mirrors the actual exam's per-section limits so the pacing itself isn't a surprise on test day.

How to turn a practice-test score report into a study plan for the remaining weeks, rather than restudying material already mastered. Jonah Whitcombe, who co-leads the group, walks through the study plan he built for his own 2019 exam as one example.

Where NANA's pre-approval fits, and what documentation the CAE program itself requires at application.

Association staff applying for the CAE credential in the spring or winter window who want a structured, peer cohort rather than solo study.

• Build a personal CAE study plan across the five domain areas

• Complete practice exam sections under timed conditions

• Identify weak domain areas from practice-test results

• Apply NANA's pre-approved credit hours toward the exam application