IS AD and CE the same thing?
Approximately.
AD stands for Anno Domini ("in the year of our Lord" meaning after the birth of Jesus)
CE stands for Common Era.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD
AD and CE are not the same thing. AD stands for "Anno Domini," which is a Latin phrase meaning "In the year of our Lord." It is used to label years in the Gregorian calendar system and represents the years after the birth of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, CE stands for "Common Era," which is a secular alternative to AD. CE is also used to label years in the Gregorian calendar system and represents the same time period as AD, but without any religious connotation.
If you want to determine whether two calendar systems or labels are the same, you can simply look up their definitions. In the case of AD and CE, understanding their origins and meanings helps you differentiate between the two.