TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268): How to Pass

Exam facts

Exam

TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268)

State / jurisdiction

Texas

Credential area

School principal

Delivery

Computer-administered test (CAT)

Questions

70 selected-response questions; 4 constructed-response questions

Testing time

285 minutes (4 hours 45 minutes)

Appointment time

300 minutes (5 hours)

Passing score

240

How to prepare for TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268)

TeacherPreps preparation guidance based on the exam framework linked below. Adjust the plan to your experience and your practice results.

1. Find your starting point

   Take the 25-question diagnostic before reading the explanations. For each missed question, note the content area and the reason: an unfamiliar concept, a misread scenario or a choice that was reasonable but not the strongest. A short diagnostic is a starting point for review, not a measure of readiness.

2. Study the leadership content this exam emphasizes

   Leading Learning. For instructional leadership, connect curriculum, instruction and assessment. Review how a leader uses assessment results to adjust instruction, how classroom observation evidence becomes specific feedback and how interventions are matched to student needs. When comparing answer choices, prefer the option that is grounded in evidence and keeps the focus on student learning.

   School Environment. For school culture, equity and student support, study how a leader builds a safe, inclusive environment with high expectations. Practice identifying barriers that affect particular student groups, the supports a school can put in place and the evidence that shows whether those supports are working.

   Human Capital. For staff development and supervision, review the cycle of observation, feedback, coaching and evaluation, and the difference between supporting growth and documenting performance. Know how a leader builds shared leadership through teams and professional learning communities, and how professional learning is planned from identified needs.

   The TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268) study guide has 58 lessons on these topics; the first lesson is free.

3. Allocate review time using the framework and your gaps

   Use the published content-area weights to balance your plan, and give extra time to areas where your practice shows gaps. A smaller weight does not make an area optional.

   • Leading Learning (42%)
   • School Environment (22%)
   • Human Capital (18%)
   • Executive Leadership (6%)
   • Strategic Operations (6%)
   • Ethics (5%)
   See the TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268) outline and study guide

4. Check understanding with fresh practice

   After reviewing a missed question, answer a new question on the same idea and explain why the correct choice is the strongest action. Members can build practice sets by content area in the TExES 268 Exam Builder. A rising score on this fixed diagnostic may reflect remembered answers, and a practice percentage cannot be converted into a scaled exam score.

5. Rehearse the format and testing conditions

   Published testing time: 285 minutes (4 hours 45 minutes). The 300-minute appointment includes time beyond the test itself. Prepare separately for the written part (4 constructed-response questions); the diagnostic covers multiple-choice content only. Practice reading scenarios carefully: identify who is involved, what the leader is responsible for and what the question asks you to decide.

   Check TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268) registration and test-day requirements

Publisher sources

Checked November 7, 2026. Content areas and weights come from the exam framework; administrative details come from the publisher test pages.

• TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268): source 1
• TExES Principal as Instructional Leader (268): source 2

TeacherPreps practice questions and lessons are independently written and are not publisher exam questions.

Continue your school leadership preparation

Read the study guide lessons, practice by content area in the Exam Builder and review the explanation for each answer.