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Congratulations on your decision to accept the challenge and earn the REALTOR® association Certified Executive (RCE) designation. We believe you will find the process to be a stimulating journey in which your knowledge of REALTOR® association management will increase substantially, as will your reputation for being a leader in the field.
Because you already have your CAE designation, the process for you is streamlined!
Eligibility Requirements
*REALTOR® association employment requirements are the same as RCE eligibility requirements. In addition, you must:
- Be a current CAE designee
- Possess three years of REALTOR® association or real estate management experience; part-time association executives must have five years of such experience
*Applicants can apply for the designation if they are full- or part-time employees of a local or state association of REALTORS®, a business which is directly or indirectly, wholly-owned by one or more REALTOR® association(s), a regional multiple listing service owned by a REALTOR® association(s), or an employee of NAR.
Process
Submit the CAE Plus online application by either of the RCE deadlines—July 1 or December 1—together with proof of your CAE designation and the nonrefundable $395 application fee.
Complete a condensed examination, consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions on REALTOR® association management topics. The RCE examination is administered twice a year at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo and the AE Institute. RCE candidates may choose to complete the examination during an NAR sponsored meeting, or locally online with an RCE proctor (up to four weeks prior to being offered at an NAR meeting). RCE candidates must be pre-registered in order to take the examination.
Please note that if you do not have your CAE certification, you must submit the RCE Applicant Data Form (ADF). Contact Renee Holland, 312-329-8545, rholland@realtors.org, or Krystal Allen, 312-329-8514, kallen@realtors.org if you need a copy or go to the RCE home page.
Application
To begin the process, you must complete and submit the CAE Plus application along with a non-refundable $395 application fee. This fee covers both the application and the exam costs. A $205 certification fee will be due after you successfully complete the exam.
RCE CAE Plus Exam
The exam is a knowledge-based examination consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions administered in a single ninety-minute time frame.
The passing standard is a score of 75% or higher. Using this methodology there is no curve, and candidates do not compete against each other. There is no limit on the number of candidates who may pass or fail the test.
RCE exams will be offered locally online in February and October annually with an RCE proctor. A computer and secure internet connection are required. RCE candidates must be pre-registered to take the exam.
Candidates who do not receive the minimum passing score after taking the examination have two years from the date their application was submitted to retake the examination during the next time an examination is scheduled. Candidates must pay an additional $50 fee to retake the examination.
Candidates who do not take the exam or successfully pass the examination within two years after submitting their CAE Plus application must resubmit a new CAE Plus application, along with a $395 nonrefundable reapplication fee. Candidates will have two (2) years to successfully pass the examination.
Designation Use
See NAR's RCE Designation usage guidelines.
Exam Resources
CAE designees have a fast-track path to earning an RCE designation. The AE Competencies and Body of Knowledge has been streamlined to match the objectives of the RCE multiple-choice examination format: