Free ILTS Principal as Instructional Leader Prep practice test: are you ready?

5 sample ILTS Principal as Instructional Leader Prep questions, explained

From the practice tests in our guide. Try them before you open the answer.

1. 1. After a school adopted a new science curriculum, end-of-year science scores did not improve. Fidelity logs show that fewer than half of the science teachers received the full professional learning sequence and that several required laboratory investigations were not taught. What is the most defensible conclusion from this evidence?

   • A. Teachers need more time to become comfortable with the curriculum before its quality can be judged.
   • B. The curriculum was not implemented with fidelity, so low outcomes do not demonstrate that the curriculum is ineffective.
   • C. The science curriculum is not aligned with the state science standards.
   • D. The end-of-year test is not sensitive enough to measure the curriculum's effect.
   Show the answer

   Correct: B (The curriculum was not implemented with fidelity, so low outcomes do not demonstrate that the curriculum is ineffective.).

   Implementation data show whether a strategy operated as designed, and here the professional learning sequence and required labs were missing. The low scores therefore indicate an implementation problem, not a valid test of the curriculum's design.

   Topic: School Improvement Planning, Change Leadership, and Accountability

2. 2. A principal leads a grade-level team through a unit alignment audit. Which set of diagnostic questions should frame the team's review of each lesson?

   • A. Does the material match the topic, does the worksheet have enough items, and is the homework collected?
   • B. Is the lesson engaging, is the pacing brisk, and do students work collaboratively?
   • C. Is the heading on the lesson plan, are the student objectives posted, and does the exit ticket have a rubric?
   • D. Does the material teach the skill named in the standard, do the tasks require the standard's level of thinking, and does the assessment capture the standard's verbs?
   Show the answer

   Correct: D (Does the material teach the skill named in the standard, do the tasks require the standard's level of thinking, and does the assessment capture the standard's verbs?).

   Asking about engagement, pacing, or whether objectives are posted does not test alignment with the standard.

   Topic: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Leadership

3. 3. A first-year teacher is in her second week of school. Which supervision schedule best matches the recommended support for a novice teacher during the first month?

   • A. Schedule one formal observation with a leadership rubric and wait for the mid-year point for the next.
   • B. Allow her to set her own observation schedule because she knows her growth areas best.
   • C. Observe her once early in the month and again only if a concern is reported.
   • D. Observe her twice in the first month, then meet to give specific feedback tied to one priority.
   Show the answer

   Correct: D (Observe her twice in the first month, then meet to give specific feedback tied to one priority.).

   Novice teachers should be observed twice in the first month and then receive a follow-up conference with concrete priority feedback. One observation or waiting for concerns does not provide the frequent, concrete support novices need.

   Topic: Supervision, Teacher Development, and Professional Learning

4. 4. A newly appointed principal writes a revised vision statement over the summer, then introduces it to the faculty at the first meeting and invites comments. The faculty remain polite but do not change their teaching. What is the most likely cause of this outcome?

   • A. The principal invited comments too late in the meeting; a longer question-and-answer session would have solved the problem.
   • B. The statement lacked a formal school board approval and therefore carried no authority.
   • C. The principal introduced the statement too early in the school year for teachers to absorb it.
   • D. The faculty had no role in shaping the vision, so the statement did not create ownership.
   Show the answer

   Correct: D (The faculty had no role in shaping the vision, so the statement did not create ownership.).

   Ownership is built during the drafting process, not after a finished statement is revealed. Presenting a completed vision for comment gives teachers no real influence over its substance, which is why the document feels like someone else's plan.

   Topic: Vision, School Culture, and Collaborative Leadership

5. 5. During an initial community analysis, a principal reviews the Illinois Report Card for her school and for the five public schools closest to it. Which use of this information best serves her understanding of the school's community context?

   • A. Verifying whether the school's free and reduced-price meal rate changed because of SNAP eligibility rules
   • B. Comparing her school's demographic and outcome trends with schools that may draw from overlapping portions of the wider community
   • C. Establishing the exact feeder patterns from each neighborhood elementary school into the local middle schools
   • D. Determining which nearby schools are performing poorly so the district can target additional resources to them
   Show the answer

   Correct: B (Comparing her school's demographic and outcome trends with schools that may draw from overlapping portions of the wider community).

   Feeder patterns come from the district research office, and meal rate changes reflect SNAP direct certification, not the Report Card.

   Topic: Families, Community, and the Broader Contexts of Education

Frequently asked questions

Is this ILTS Principal as Instructional Leader Prep practice test free?

Yes. It is free, it needs no account, and you see your result immediately.

How is the readiness verdict calculated?

80% or more correct = ready, 65-79% = almost, below 65% = not yet. It is a conservative bar for practice, not the official passing score of the exam.

Where do the questions come from?

From the practice tests in our ILTS Principal as Instructional Leader Prep study guide, mixed across every topic of the exam: 25 questions per attempt. The sample questions on this page are not repeated in the test.