SLLA 6990

The School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA 6990) is developed and administered by ETS as part of the School Leadership Series. It is a key step toward licensure for building-level leadership roles such as principal and assistant principal. The test measures whether entry-level school leaders have the knowledge and skills to manage schools, support staff, and improve student outcomes, and it is aligned with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL).

Exam Pattern and Format

The test is computer-delivered in two separately timed sections. You cannot carry unused time from Section I into Section II, so pace each section on its own.

Section	Questions	Time	WhatItMeasures
I SelectedResponse .	120questionsinsixcontent	165minutes	Knowledgeofleadershippracticeappliedto
	categories		realisticschoolsituations;mostitemsaskforthe
			bestcourseofaction
II ConstructedResponse .	4Analysisquestions	75minutes	Yourabilitytoanalyzeascenario adataset or , ,
			schooldocumentsandwriteacomplete ,
			evidence-based response

Section I allows about 1 minute 20 seconds per question. In Section II, plan on roughly 18 minutes per constructed response: a few minutes to read and annotate the scenario, most of the time to write, and a final minute to check that every part of the prompt is answered.

Content Categories

ContentCategory	Topics
I StrategicLeadership .	Mission vision goals andcorevalues;sharedcommitmentstoimplementthevisionand , , ,
	goals;continuousimprovementtowardthevisionandgoals
II InstructionalLeadership .	Professionaldevelopmentandbuildingcapacity;rigorouscurriculumandinstruction;
	assessmentandaccountability
III ClimateandCulturalLeadership .	Acommunityofcareandsupportforteachers;equityandculturalresponsiveness;a
	communityofcareandsupportforstudents
IV EthicalLeadership .	Ethicalandlegalbehavior;ethicalvaluesandbeliefs
V OrganizationalLeadership .	Managingoperationalsystems;aligningandobtainingfiscalandhumanresources;protecting
	thewelfareandsafetyofstudentsandstaff
VI CommunityEngagement .	Collaboratingwithfamiliesandothercommunitymembers;communityinterestsandneeds;
Leadership	maximizingcommunityresources
VII Analysis .	Applyingcompetenciesfromallsixcategoriestoscenarios data anddocumentsinwritten , ,
	responses

Alignment with the PSEL Standards

The test content reflects the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, the national standards that describe what effective school leaders know and do. Knowing the ten standards helps you recognize what a "best" answer looks like: the choice that advances student learning and well-being through collaboration, equity, and ethical practice.

No.	PSELStandard	WhereItAppearsinThisGuide
1	Mission Vision andCoreValues , ,	Section1:StrategicLeadership
2	EthicsandProfessionalNorms	Section4:EthicalLeadership
3	EquityandCulturalResponsiveness	Sections2and3
4	Curriculum Instruction andAssessment , ,	Section2:InstructionalLeadership
5	CommunityofCareandSupportforStudents	Section3:ClimateandCulturalLeadership
6	ProfessionalCapacityofSchoolPersonnel	Sections2and5
7	ProfessionalCommunityforTeachersandStaff	Sections2and3
8	MeaningfulEngagementofFamiliesandCommunity	Section6:CommunityEngagementLeadership
9	OperationsandManagement	Section5:OrganizationalLeadership
10	SchoolImprovement	Sections1and7

Why the SLLA 6990 Matters

Scoring, Registration, and Fees

Slla6990Ataglance

ExamAspect	Details
Administeredby	ETS(EducationalTestingService) SchoolLeadershipSeries ,
Format	120 selected -response questions (165 minutes) and 4 constructed -response questions (75 minutes) ,
	separatelytimed
Scoreweighting	Selectedresponseabout75%ofthetotalscore;constructedresponseabout25%
Constructed -response	Each response is scored on a 0–3 scale for completeness accuracy and depth of understanding not , , ,
scoring	forwritingmechanics
Scorescale	100–200 Each state sets its own passing score so confirm the requirement for the state where you . ,
	areseekinglicensure
Delivery	Computer-delivered at a test center or at home with a live remote proctor
Fee	$425;uptofourscorerecipientsareincludedwithregistration
Rescheduling	$40fee;changesmustbemadeatleastthreedaysbeforetheappointment
Retesting	Youmayretakethetestonceevery28days
Identification	Valid unexpired government-issued ID with your name photograph and signature matching your , , , ,
	registration