CPACE Content Study Guide 2026–2027 | California Administrator Prep & 200 Practice Questions

Prepare for the CPACE—Content subtest (603) of the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination with a complete study guide organized around the six official leadership domains and all 20 competencies: Visionary Leadership; Instructional Leadership; School Improvement Leadership; Professional Learning and Growth Leadership; Organizational and Systems Leadership; and Community Leadership. Each chapter condenses what the test measures into clear explanations, summary tables, process flows, and key-concept boxes grounded in the California Administrator Performance Expectations.

This 125-page digital guide pairs a focused content review with two 100-question practice tests of scenario-based, exam-level questions, so you can practice the "what should the principal do FIRST?" judgment the test rewards in vision, instruction, school improvement, budget, school law, and community situations.

What's Inside

• An overview of the current test: 70 multiple-choice questions and 3 focused constructed-response assignments in 3 hours 15 minutes, the six domains and their question counts (12/14/12/11/11/10), the 70/30 scoring weight, the 100–300 scale with a passing score of 220, fees, test-center and online-proctored delivery, retakes, and the examination route to the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential
• Visionary Leadership: data-grounded vision, LCAP alignment, California's education governance structure, ethical lenses, and distributed leadership
• Instructional Leadership: California standards and frameworks, Smarter Balanced, CAST, CAA and ELPAC, MTSS, PBIS and UDL, CSTP-based observation and feedback, the Stull Act, English learners and reclassification, culturally relevant practice, and the California School Dashboard
• School Improvement Leadership: needs assessment, root-cause analysis, the SPSA and School Site Council, Kotter, CBAM, technical vs. adaptive change, PDSA, resources, and leading vs. lagging indicators
• Professional Learning and Growth Leadership: personal growth plans, andragogy, induction, coaching models, PLCs, and Guskey's five levels of evaluation
• Organizational and Systems Leadership: systems thinking, Bolman and Deal's four frames, safety plans, LCFF, the LCAP, site budgets, suspension and expulsion rules, IDEA and Section 504, student rights cases, CANRA, FERPA, Williams, UCP, and collective bargaining
• Community Leadership: spokesperson and crisis communication, Epstein's six types of involvement, translation requirements, ELAC, DELAC, and community partnerships
• A full chapter on the constructed-response assignments with a five-step method and a model high-scoring response
• Four- and eight-week study schedules, a final review checklist, FAQs, test-taking strategies, and recommended resources
• 2 practice tests (200 questions) weighted like the real test's six domains, with a separate answer key explaining every answer

Format

• Instant digital download (PDF), 8.5 × 11 in
• Clickable table of contents
• Print it or study on a tablet, laptop, or phone

Please note: This is a digital product. No physical item will be shipped.

CPACE and the CPACE logo are trademarks of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). Test Treasure Publication is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Pearson, or any testing organization; all exam and organization names referenced are trademarks of their respective owners.