CAE Study Guide 2015: Preparation Reference for the Certified Association Executive Exam

There′s No Better Way to Prepare for the CAE Exam

If you want the most effective way to prepare for the CAE exam,look no further than this guide. With fully updated and revised jobanalysis study findings from ASAE: The Center for AssociationLeadership, it′s also the only book with a practice exam based onactual questions released from the official CAE item bank. You′llfind everything you need to feel confident on test day, includingquality summaries of all the content covered in the exam′s ninedomains and test tips to prepare you for success.

Easy–to–digest content sections and plenty of preparationresources make this guide indispensable, and the onehundred question online practice exam shows you what toexpect. A readiness assessment, key terms and concepts, studyquestions with answer keys, and advice on creating and executing astudy plan lead you through solid preparation.

Comprehensive content summaries of all nine domains tested Steps for creating an effective study plan and sticking toit Advice on fine–tuning difficult areas Recommended reading, a self–assessment, and plenty of studyquestions Test day preparation tips, including how to get into the propermind–set and how to cope with exam anxiety A full–length, online practice exam with one hundred examquestions drawn from the CAE test item database ASAE′s Standards of Conduct and Core Ethical Standards

ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership is theprofessional association for more than 21,000 associationexecutives and industry partners representing 10,000organizations.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

SECTION 1 GETTING STARTED 1

Introduction 1

What Is Certification? 1

Reasons for Earning the CAE 2

Are You Ready to Earn the CAE? 4

Evaluating Where You Are Now 9

SECTION 2 CREATING AND EXECUTING A STUDY PLAN 25

Planning Your CAE Exam Study Path 25

Identifying Study Resources 28

Creating a Personalized Study Schedule 30

Participating in a Study Group 35

Using Your Study Time Effectively 40

SECTION 3 STUDYING THE DOMAIN CONTENT 47

The CAE Domains Basis and Creation 47

Studying the Content Domains 48

Domain 1 Strategic Management 50

Recommended Reading 50

Key Terms and Concepts 51

Domain 1 Content Review 65

Domain 1 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 77

Study Questions 83

Section Review Considerations 93

Study Questions Answer Key 94

Domain 2 Governance and Structure 96

Recommended Reading 96

Key Terms and Concepts 97

Domain 2 Content Review 103

Domain 2 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 105

Study Questions 109

Section Review Considerations 113

Study Questions Answer Key 116

Domain 3 Membership Development 118

Recommended Reading 118

Key Terms and Concepts 119

Domain 3 Content Review 122

Domain 3 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 130

Study Questions 133

Section Review Considerations 139

Study Questions Answer Key 141

Domain 4 Programs, Products, and Services 143

Recommended Reading 143

Key Terms and Concepts 144

Domain 4 Content Review 151

Domain 4 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 156

Study Questions 161

Section Review Considerations 167

Study Questions Answer Key 168

Domain 5 Leadership 169

Recommended Reading 169

Key Terms and Concepts 170

Domain 5 Content Review 174

Domain 5 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 180

Study Questions 184

Section Review Considerations 191

Study Questions Answer Key 193

Domain 6 Administration 195

Recommended Reading 195

Key Terms and Concepts 196

Domain 6 Content Review 205

Domain 6 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 218

Study Questions 224

Section Review Considerations 234

Study Questions Answer Key 237

Domain 7 Knowledge Management and Research 239

Recommended Reading 239

Key Terms and Concepts 240

Domain 7 Content Review 241

Domain 7 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 246

Study Questions 248

Section Review Considerations 251

Study Questions Answer Key 252

Domain 8 Public Policy, Government Relations, and CoalitionBuilding 254

Recommended Reading 254

Key Terms and Concepts 255

Domain 8 Content Review 261

Domain 8 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 268

Study Questions 270

Section Review Considerations 274

Study Questions Answer Key 275

Domain 9 Marketing, Public Relations, and Communications 277

Recommended Reading 277

Key Terms and Concepts 277

Domain 9 Content Review 281

Domain 9 Exam Content Outline Self–Assessment 289

Study Questions 291

Section Review Considerations 296

Study Questions Answer Key 298

SECTION 4 EXAM DAY PREPARATION AND BEYOND 301

Preparing for Exam Day 301

Taking the CAE Exam 305

After the Exam 309

SECTION 5 CAE PRACTICE EXAM 311

Introduction 311

CAE Abbreviated Practice Exam (Full Version Online) 314

SECTION 6 APPENDIX 321

ASAE Standards of Conduct 321

Practice Exam Answer Key 331