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Exam Overview
The CPACE is administered by the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). It is the examination route to the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential for educators who do not complete a Commission-approved administrator preparation program.
- Questions: 70 multiple-choice questions and 3 focused constructed-response assignments
- Scorable items: 58 multiple-choice questions count toward your score; 12 are non-scorable field-test questions you cannot identify
- Weighting: multiple-choice 70% of the total score; constructed response 30%
- Testing time: 3 hours 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes for the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement
- Delivery: computer-based testing at a Pearson VUE center or online proctoring (remote)
- Score scale: 100–300; passing scaled score 220
- Test fee: $294 for the Content subtest
- Results: within about 5 weeks (test center) or 4 weeks (online proctored)
- Retakes: after a 45-day waiting period
The Six Domains and Their Weight
| Domain | Competencies | MC questions | Approx. share of MC |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. Visionary Leadership | 0001–0004 | 12 | 17% |
| II. Instructional Leadership | 0005–0008 | 14 | 20% |
| III. School Improvement Leadership | 0009–0012 | 12 | 17% |
| IV. Professional Learning and Growth Leadership | 0013–0015 | 11 | 16% |
| V. Organizational and Systems Leadership | 0016–0018 | 11 | 16% |
| VI. Community Leadership | 0019–0020 | 10 | 14% |
| Total | 20 competencies | 70 | 100% |
The Constructed-Response Assignments
The three focused constructed-response assignments ask you to analyze a short school-leadership situation, often with data or documents, and write a focused response. Each response is scored independently by at least two trained California educators on a four-point scale using three performance characteristics:
A response can be marked unscorable if it is blank, unrelated to the assignment, not written in English, or too brief or unoriginal to score. Your score report shows a performance index of one to four plus signs for each domain's multiple-choice questions and for each constructed-response assignment; three or four plus signs indicate adequate or better performance.
How Scoring Works
- Multiple-choice answers are machine scored as correct or incorrect. There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.
- Raw scores from both parts are combined and converted to the 100–300 scale. A total scaled score of 220 or higher passes.
- Passing is based on the total score from a single administration. You cannot combine your best multiple-choice performance from one attempt with your best written performance from another.
- Passing scores are valid toward a credential for 10 years from the test date.
Where the CPACE Fits in the Credential Pathway
| Requirement | What the CTC expects |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite credential | A valid Clear or Life California teaching or services credential (or a qualifying California OT or PT license) |
| Experience | Five or more years of full-time teaching and/or school services experience in public or private schools |
| Examinations | Passing scores on both CPACE—Content (603) and CPACE—Performance (604) |
| Employment | An offer of an administrative position verified by the employer; without one, the CTC issues a Certificate of Eligibility |
| Clearance | Fingerprint clearance on file with the Commission |
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