Exam Description
The IAAPA Certified Attractions Executive (ICAE) designation is for professionals with 7 or more years of attraction industry experience. The ICAE examination is a case study-based exam approach. You will review a fictional case study and answer questions related to the case study. Individuals who want to pursue this program must meet the eligibility requirements before being approved into the program.
Exam Eligibility
Once approved into this program, an individual is eligible for a period of two years. An individual must successfully complete the examination within the two year period. The table below represents required industry experience and education.
|
ICAE (Pathway 1) |
ICAE (Pathway 2) |
| Professional Attractions Industry Experience |
7 years |
10 years |
| Supervisory Experience |
7 years |
10 years |
| Education |
Bachelor’s Degree* or higher |
n/a |
*or international equivalent
Professional Attractions Industry Experience; defined as full-time work within an attraction (Amusement Park, Family Entertainment Center, Zoo and Aquarium, Museum, Science Center, Water Park, or a Manufacturer or Supplier to the attractions industry. Additionally, faculty and professors who support the attractions industry, including students (given they
meet eligibility requirements), are encouraged to participate.
Supervisory Experience includes the following examples: Helping the team understand performance targets and goals. Training and ensuring that workers competent in their role. Scheduling work hours and shifts. Coordinating job rotation and cross-training. Sharing company updates, financial results, and new objectives with team members. Assisting in resolving emergencies, such as a quality or customer problem, might escalate to the team supervisor for handling. Identifying and resolving workplace problems, including tardiness or absenteeism. Providing reports and activity updates to management. Assisting in hiring, disciplining, and terminating activities.
Successfully earning an IAAPA certification is a combination of meeting the eligibility requirements plus successfully passing the examination(s).
Exam Structure
The examination is a case study-based examination consisting of 70 multiple-choice questions. You will have 3 hours to complete the exam. The table below illustrates the domains and number of questions per domain.
| ICAE Exam - 1 Exam, 70 questions, 3 hours |
#of Items |
| Facility Operations, Entertainment, and Guest Relations |
18 |
| Revenue Operations and Financial Management |
18 |
| Safety and Security |
9 |
| Marketing and Public Relations |
7 |
| Human Resources and Management |
7 |
| Organizational Leadership and Corporate Culture |
11 |
| Total |
70 |
More information about each domain can be found in the ICAE Examination Syllabus.
Application Fees
Individuals have 365 days to complete the certification application after submitting the fee. IAAPA certification applications, exams, and other fees are not eligible to be purchased for anyone other than yourself. Application fee includes exam fee.
| Member Status |
Price |
| Member |
$700* |
| Nonmember |
$1175* |
*Login to access IAAPA member pricing.
