Membership to CEA is considered under the defined scheme of Affirmation of Prior Experience & Learning (APEL) or Accreditation for Career Progress Development (ACPD).

In these two schemes, credits are given for prior learning and experience. Those who have the necessary credit units will be advised on the membership level awarded to them and what examination, if any, they need to sit.
Those who do not qualify with enough credits will be channelled to the APEL scheme where they will have to sit or oral or viva voce sessions.

Upon completion of these and the accumulation of further credits, they then can qualify for membership and sit for any of the examinations.