How to Become a Principal in California

California principal requirements, step by step

Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Each requirement is stated as Commission on Teacher Credentialing publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Hold a valid prerequisite credential

   Maintain a clear teaching or services credential, or an occupational therapy or physical therapy license that qualifies under Assembly Bill 1009, which takes effect January 1, 2026. The Preliminary Administrative Services Credential cannot outlast that prerequisite.

   Source: ctc.ca.gov

2. 2

   Document five years of full-time experience

   Verify five years of full-time experience of the type the Commission accepts for administrative services. Experience must be documented before CTC will issue the Preliminary credential or a Certificate of Eligibility.

   Source: ctc.ca.gov

3. 3

   Complete a Commission-approved program, intern route, or CPACE

   Finish a Commission-approved administrative services program that includes the California Administrator Performance Assessment (CalAPA), complete an intern program, or pass both the content and performance subtests of the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination (CPACE). CPACE scores remain usable for ten years.

   Source: ctc.ca.gov

4. 4

   Verify an administrative offer or request a Certificate of Eligibility

   Submit employment verification in an administrative position on form CL-777 when you have a job offer. If you have no offer, request a Certificate of Eligibility so the Commission can record that you have met all requirements except employment.

   Source: ctc.ca.gov

5. 5

   Apply for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential

   File through educator.ctc.ca.gov. The Preliminary credential is typically valid for five years and may be limited by the expiration date of the prerequisite credential.

   Source: ctc.ca.gov

6. 6

   Clear the credential through induction and two years of service

   Complete a Commission-approved Clear Administrative Services induction program and two years of administrative experience to advance from Preliminary to Clear.

   Source: ctc.ca.gov

California does not fold building leadership into a generic administrator stamp. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing issues a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential only after a candidate already holds a qualifying prerequisite—historically a clear teaching or services credential, and, beginning January 1, 2026, an occupational therapy or physical therapy license that meets Assembly Bill 1009. That prerequisite is not a formality. Leaflet CL-574C states that Preliminary validity can be cut short by the expiration of the underlying credential, so candidates who let a teaching or services document lapse can lose administrative authorization even if the five-year Preliminary clock has not run out.

Preparation is a fork, not a single exam day. Most candidates complete a Commission-approved administrative services program that embeds the California Administrator Performance Assessment. Others serve on an intern authorization while finishing program requirements. A third group sits for CPACE and must pass both the content and performance subtests; those scores remain usable for ten years, which matters for people who complete testing well before they have a job offer. Mixing the routes without reading the exam-prepared checklist is a common source of delay, because CTC treats CalAPA-in-program and CPACE as alternative demonstrations, not interchangeable fragments.

Employment verification is the last gate that surprises career-changers. Form CL-777 documents an administrative position. Without an offer, CTC issues a Certificate of Eligibility instead of a Preliminary credential. The Certificate records that coursework, experience, and assessment are complete, but it does not authorize service until a district hires the candidate into an administrative role and the Preliminary is requested. Aspiring principals who finish programs in May and interview through the summer should plan for that Certificate interval rather than assuming the Preliminary prints automatically.

Clearing the credential is a second project. A Commission-approved Clear Administrative Services induction program plus two years of administrative experience are required to move from Preliminary to Clear. Districts sometimes hire candidates who still hold only the Certificate of Eligibility, then discover induction cannot start until the Preliminary is in hand. Aligning the job offer, CL-777, induction enrollment, and the two-year service clock is the practical sequence that keeps California administrators from hitting the five-year Preliminary wall without a Clear credential.

Required exams and fees

California uses CalAPA / CPACE. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Institutions with educational leadership programs

The table lists educational leadership CIP codes and award levels from IPEDS. This extract reported no completion counts, so none are shown. An award conferred does not mean the program is approved to recommend candidates for Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Verify approval with Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Moving an administrator credential to California

Confirm out-of-state administrator evaluation rules directly with Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This site does not republish NASDTEC interstate-agreement text.

Commission on Teacher Credentialing