Frequently Asked Questions About Education

Education FAQs

  • CAI strongly encourages students to register online with a credit card for immediate registration confirmation.  To mail in a check for a live course, download and complete the Live Course Registration form, available here, and send it to the address on the form. Please call ahead to ensure space.

  • No. The courses do not need to be taken in order. CAI recommends that most learners begin with the M-100, but your experience may vary.
     

  • Digital materials are available upon registration in your My Learning.
    CAI is evolving to meet the needs of today’s learners by moving away from traditional print materials and focusing on delivering high-quality digital educational offerings. This shift allows us to provide content that is more interactive, accessible, and adaptable to different learning styles. By prioritizing digital delivery, we can ensure that our educational resources remain current, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible, while offering learners the convenience and engagement they expect in a modern learning environment.
     

  • The dress code is business casual.

  • For both the classroom and online formats, they must pass both an evaluation and verification question, to then be awarded the certificate of completion.

  • The steps toward earning the CMCA are found on this page.

    CAI’s M-100 course ($579.00 manager member/$679.00 non-member) fulfills the education requirement for the CMCA. Once you pass the M-100 exam, you are qualified to apply for the CMCA exam.
     

  • There is a retired status for the credentials, which effectively makes you not need a CAI membership. Please reach out to [email protected] with eligibility questions or apply online. You must have an active credential to apply.
     

  • Information on future events can be found here: https://www.caionline.org/events/future-events
     

  • CAI strongly encourages students to register online with a credit card for immediate registration confirmation. ​To mail in a check for a live course, download and complete the Live Course Registration form, available here. Please call or email [email protected] ahead to ensure space.

    • Virtual Edition: live via Zoom or equivalent platform
    • Classroom Edition: live in person
    • Online Course: on-demand via CAI’s learning platform. Students have 120 days from purchase date to complete the course and take the exam to receive credit.​​

  • CAI offers classes for everyone that interacts with community associations. For more information on education for specific backgrounds, please use the following links.

  • To access your course, click on the "My CAI" link at the top right of the CAI homepage (https://www.caionline.org), then select "My Online Learning."/ “My Education and Events” If you are not already logged into CAI’s website, click “Access My Education” you will be prompted to sign in with your e-mail address and CAI password. If you don't know your password, you can always change it (at https://cai.caionline.org/eweb/Dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=forgotpassword). Under your course title, click the “Launch” hyperlink to get started.

  • If you wish to cancel your registration completely, a refund will be issued less a $100 administrative fee for requests received with two or more weeks' notice. A refund will be issued less a $150 administrative fee for requests received with less than two weeks' notice. CAI cannot leave course funds as credit on your account. Refunds will not be issued after the course has begun.
    If CAI should cancel a scheduled course, registrants can transfer their registration to another course or receive a refund, free of charge. CAI is not responsible for hotel or travel expenses incurred due to course cancellation. Please contact [email protected]

  • For each registration transfer, there is a $25 administrative fee. Please note that early registration discounts do not carry over in a registration transfer, so additional charges may apply. As a CAI member, if you wish to transfer your registration payment to another manager who is not a CAI member, the non-member rate will be applied. All fees must be paid before starting the course. Students who attend a classroom course with a balance owed will not receive their course results until payment is received. CAI cannot leave course funds as a credit on your account. A new course or registrant must be selected before the transfer can occur. Registrations will not be transferred after the course has begun. Please contact [email protected].

  • A student may audit a PMDP course as a refresher or in preparation for the Case Study if he/she has already successfully passed that course. The fee is $50. To audit a course, a student must submit a request to CAI's Education Department by e-mailing [email protected]. For questions about course audits, call (888) 224-4321 and ask for the education department.

  • If you score below 70 percent, you can retake the exam for $50. You must submit your retake request within 60 days of grade notification. The retake exam must be completed within 14 days after exam enrollment. If you fail to retake the exam or you do not pass after completing your retake, you will be required to retake the course at the full tuition price. Retake requests can be sent to [email protected].

  • Digital materials are available upon registration in your My Learning.
    CAI is evolving to meet the needs of today’s learners by moving away from traditional print materials and focusing on delivering high-quality digital educational offerings. This shift allows us to provide content that is more interactive, accessible, and adaptable to different learning styles. By prioritizing digital delivery, we can ensure that our educational resources remain current, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible, while offering learners the convenience and engagement they expect in a modern learning environment

  • To request state credit for a course you have taken, please download the Request for State DRE / CAM Credit form. Please note that the requirements often vary by state, so be sure to review the state link for current information. Please e-mail the form to [email protected].

  • Some CAI chapters offer scholarships for community managers to attend live, virtual, or self-paced education courses, providing valuable opportunities for professional development and career advancement. Check out the CAI websites to learn more.
    The Foundation for Community Association Research also offers the Roy Hailey Memorial Education Scholarship, an annual scholarship for managers seeking to advance their professional education through CAI’s courses, including support for tuition, travel, and accommodations.

  • Webinars can be found here and are available on-demand along with new live webinars added each month. Continuing education credit for management credentials is available.

  • No. The courses can be taken in any order, and at any level. You do not need to be a PCAM to take an M-300 level course. Additionally, you do not need to be employed in the industry to register for our courses.

Professional Credentialing FAQs

  • You must complete all the requirements listed on each credentials webpage before submitting your application. Please do not submit your application before the requirements have been met. Additionally, there is no specific order in which the requirements must be met, as long as all of them have been met before you apply.

  • The only application currently available online is the AMS application at http://www.caionline.org/amsapp.You can download the pdf application on each credential’s webpage.
     

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/ams for the current AMS designation requirements.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/pcam for the current PCAM designation requirements.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/aamc for the current AAMC accreditation requirements.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/cirms for the current CIRMS designation requirements.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/lsm for the current LSM designation requirements.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/rs for the current RS designation requirements.

  • CAI redesignation runs on a three-year cycle. For 2026, your education must have been completed between Aug. 1, 2023 and Aug. 1, 2026 to count for this cycle. Education completed prior to Aug. 1, 2023 cannot be counted.

  • Completion and submission of the specific credential's redesignation form with supporting documentation (if needed) is required. This is to ensure that our database has accurate information and that the ethics questions are answered. Please see each credential's webpage for the redesignation form, under How do you maintain the designation?

    The AMS and PCAM redesignation also may be completed online via the My Designations section of your account. Click the Redesignate link on the right. Please note: The online version should not be printed and submitted. If you need to submit a printed redesignation form, please use the version linked off the specific credential's webpage.

  • We ask that you submit your form no sooner than February 1 of the year your redesignation is due. You will be sent an email once the form is processed.

  • No. Your invoice for your ​annual maintenance fee will be available under the My Designations section of your account close to May 1. Do not send the redesignation form with your payment and invoice as we will not receive it.

    If an invoice is available, those who hold an AMS or PCAM who need to redesignate must pay their annual maintenance fee as part of the online redesignation process. Please do not complete the redesignation process and close the browser before paying, as your redesignation will not be accepted.

    If you cannot pay your annual maintenance fee online, please call our Customer Service team at 1-703-970-9220 to pay your fee over the phone, and then please wait until the billing date shown online indicates 8/1/2027 before attempting the redesignation process. Otherwise, it will ask you to pay a second time.

  • If you completed industry-related education outside CAI headquarters offerings, you must provide proof: either a chapter participant verification form, certificate of completion, chapter transcript, or an email from the education sponsor stating you completed the education; the documentation must list the title, date, and number of hours. Registration forms or invoices will not be accepted as proof of attendance. Please contact the education sponsor directly as CAI headquarters does not maintain these records.

    For CIRMS and LSM redesignation only, include copies of articles, letters documenting chapter service, or speakership.
     

  • While education that is used to earn or maintain your license can be used for the eight hours of other industry related education for the AMS redesignation only, holding a license itself does not waive any redesignation requirements for any CAI designation. You must still complete the M-200 level or above course for the AMS redesignation or meet your credential's education requirements.

  • No. While education used to maintain a license can be used for the eight hours of other industry related education for the AMS designation, the license itself has no bearing otherwise on CAI credentials.

  • CAI Headquarters does not track education that we do not offer. Any education completed through an outside party, including our chapters, must be reported by the designee as part of the redesignation process.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/continuinged to determine how chapter education and service can be used for your redesignation.

  • Please view http://www.caionline.org/redesignationFAQs for information related to redesignation and your credentials specific webpage for the requirements.

  • Your annual maintenance fee is based on your membership status. Please ensure you have the correct membership type by April 1 each year or you may be charged the nonmember rate on your invoice.
      Individual manager member Nonmember
    AMS* $105 $330
    PCAM $180 $405
    LSM $75 $300
      Business partner affiliate Nonmember
    RS $130 $365
    CIRMS $140 $255
      Management company member Nonmember
    AAMC $180 $410

    *If you hold an active PCAM designation as well as an AMS designation, you will not be charged the AMS annual maintenance fee.
     

  • You may print a copy of your invoice by logging into your account and clicking the Manage link in the invoice column of the My Designations section or contact customer service at 1-703-970-9220.

    For the AAMC annual maintenance fee invoice, the PCAM Supervisor for the AAMC accreditation and/or the company's primary contact can download the invoice in the My Organization's Accreditation section of their account.

  • View your redesignation date under the My Designations section of your account or contact customer service at 1-703-970-9220.

  • NO. If you mail redesignation paperwork with your invoice, we will not receive it and you will not receive credit for your redesignation.

    Mail your invoice and payment to: CAI, P.O Box 748562, Atlanta, GA. 30374-8562.
    Mail your redesignation paperwork and supporting documentation to: Community Associations Institute, Credentialing, 6402 Arlington Blvd., Ste. 500, Falls Church, VA 22042.

    Please note: If you hold either an AMS or PCAM designation and your redesignation is due, in the My Designations section of your account, a link stating Redesignate will be under the Manage column. If an invoice is unpaid, you must pay your annual maintenance fee as part of the online redesignation process. Please do not complete the redesignation process and close the browser before paying, as your redesignation will not be accepted.

  • NO. Maintenance fee payments are not refundable.
     

  • Contact customer service at 1-703-970-9220 or [email protected]. They will correct your membership status or assist you in becoming a CAI member. Once your membership status has been corrected, please email [email protected] and your invoice will be manually adjusted. Please do not pay for your invoice before your membership is active and your invoice has been adjusted.
     

  • The maintenance fee is due every year on August 1, regardless of the redesignation date on your ID card.

  • The PCAM Case Study is a comprehensive examination of an actual community association, combining discussion with an extensive host association tour. You’ll explore the community in depth, reviewing its administrative procedures, legal documents and communications; and meet with its manager, board members and key personnel. Each virtual offering will feature a video property tour and live interviews via Zoom meeting. You’ll be encouraged to ask questions and openly discuss issues faced by the association in either format.

    To successfully complete the case study, you must submit a final exam paper using the skills acquired in the prerequisite courses (all 200-level courses) as well as information collected during the offering. Passage of the Case Study exam is the final step toward obtaining the PCAM designation.

  • Please see http://www.caionline.org/pcamcasestudy for the current schedule.

  • CAI does not preapprove outside education for credit. CAMICB does however, and they can be contacted at [email protected].

  • CAI offers a retired status for our designations to honor the hard work and commitment each designee has demonstrated in maintaining their designation. Fully retired designees will no longer need to meet the education requirements for their respective designations; they only need to pay a reduced annual maintenance fee. Once retired status is granted, retired individuals may list -Retired after their designation. Please complete the online retired application.
     

  • To reinstate the AMS designation, you will need to complete, and submit with payment, the AMS Reinstatement Application which can be found at http://www.caionline.org/ams under How do you reinstate the AMS designation? Do not click the buttons under Apply for the AMS Designation Today as they are for those who have not previously held the designation.
     
    Once reinstated you will have until the next August 1 to complete the redesignation requirements at the time of reinstatement. The education is not required before you submit the form.

  • To reinstate the PCAM designation, you will need to complete, and submit with payment, the PCAM Reinstatement Application which can be found at http://www.caionline.org/pcam under How do you reinstate the PCAM designation?  Once reinstated you will have until the next August 1 to complete the redesignation requirements at the time of reinstatement. The education is not required before you submit the form.

  • Please email [email protected] for assistance with this.