This page is for people training to run a California Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program who need to pass the CDSS Administrator Certification Exam after their Initial Certification Training Program (ICTP). It has free practice sets grouped by topic, worked explanations of sample questions and the checked exam facts with their official source. It also has a study plan for the 60 days you have after ICTP.
The STRTP has 75 questions, takes about 1.5 hours and costs $100[1][2] (California Department of Social Services (CDSS) - Administrator Certification Bureau, verified Oct 27, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
According to California Department of Social Services (CDSS) - Administrator Certification Bureau, “Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) 75 90 minutes”[1]
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Administrator Certification Bureau runs the STRTP Administrator Certification Exam. Passing it is part of becoming a certified administrator of a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program. You take it after you finish your Initial Certification Training Program (ICTP).
The exam has 75 questions and a 90-minute time limit. You take it remotely through a combined web-conferencing and web exam application in Blackboard. It is open book, but only printed materials are allowed, so print your notes and reference pages before exam day. Exams run only on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 AM or 1:30 PM. Check the current CDSS exam schedule PDF for open dates.
You need a score of 70% or more to pass. Your result appears as soon as you submit the exam in Blackboard.
The $100 exam fee is non-refundable and covers up to 3 attempts. All of them must happen within 60 days of your ICTP completion date. Attempts 2 and 3 cost nothing extra. If you have not passed within 60 days and 3 attempts, you must take an ICTP course again and pay the $100 exam fee again. The initial certificate application fee is $140, and certificates renew on a two-year cycle. Fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the CDSS Administrator Certification pages before you register.
Prepare for the STRTP - Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Which California state agency is primarily responsible for licensing Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTPs)?
Answer: A. Department of Social Services (DSS)
Explanation:
A is correct. The California Department of Social Services licenses STRTPs through its Community Care Licensing Division. The same department runs the Administrator Certification Bureau, which certifies STRTP administrators. The Department of Health Care Services (B) is a likely trap because it deals with Medi-Cal and mental health services, but it does not issue the facility license. The Department of Education (C) oversees schools, not residential care facilities. The Department of Justice (D) handles criminal record clearances for staff, but it is not the licensing agency.
Rule to remember: if a question is about licensing, inspections or administrator certification, the answer is CDSS. Other agencies handle supporting tasks, not the license itself.
Question: How must medications be stored in an STRTP to comply with licensing regulations?
Answer: B. In a locked, secure location with controlled access by authorized staff
Explanation:
B is correct. Medications in an STRTP must be kept in a locked, secure place that only authorized staff can open. This protects young people from misuse and accidental ingestion, and it lets staff account for every dose. A shared bathroom cabinet (A) is open to every resident, so there is no control over who takes what. A resident's bedroom (C) may seem to respect privacy, but the medication is left unsecured where other residents can reach it. A refrigerator shared with food (D) mixes medication with food and is open to everyone. Medications that need to be kept cold still have to be locked and stored apart from food.
Rule to remember: for medication storage questions, pick the option that is locked, separate and open only to authorized staff.
Question: When a resident is discharged from an STRTP to reunify with their family, which clinical service is most commonly recommended to sustain progress?
Answer: A. Family therapy and in-home support services
Explanation:
A is correct. An STRTP is a short-term placement. Discharge planning aims to move the young person into a family setting with enough support to keep the progress made in treatment. Family therapy and in-home support services do this by working with the whole family after the young person goes home. Staying at the same STRTP (B) works against reunification and short-term care. Inpatient psychiatric hospitalization (C) is a more restrictive level of care for acute crises, not a step down after progress. Adult day treatment (D) is for adults, and STRTP residents are children and youth.
Rule to remember: the best transition answer moves the young person to the least restrictive, family-centered option and keeps services going after discharge.
The STRTP Administrator Certification Exam has 75 questions and a 90-minute time limit. You take it remotely through a combined web-conferencing and web exam application in Blackboard, run by the CDSS Administrator Certification Bureau. Check the CDSS exam page for current details before you sit the exam.
You need 70% or more to pass. Your result appears in Blackboard as soon as you submit the exam, so you do not wait for a mailed score. If you do not pass, you can try again, as long as you stay within the 3 attempts and the 60-day window after your ICTP completion date.
The exam fee is $100. It is non-refundable and covers up to 3 attempts, so attempts 2 and 3 cost nothing extra. All attempts must fall within 60 days of your ICTP completion date. If you have not passed by then, you must take an ICTP course again and pay the $100 exam fee again. The initial certificate application fee is $140.
Yes. The exam is open book, but only printed materials are allowed. Print your ICTP materials and the STRTP regulations before exam day and tab them by topic, because you have 90 minutes for 75 questions and little time to search. Confirm any other exam-day rules on the CDSS exam page.
STRTP exams are offered only on Mondays and Wednesdays, at 8:30 AM or 1:30 PM. CDSS publishes the dates in its administrator exam schedule PDF, which lists sessions month by month. Choose a date that leaves room for more attempts within the 60 days after your ICTP completion date.
No. We wrote the practice questions on this page with AI tools, and they are not taken from the real exam. They are grouped by topic to help you find gaps and practice looking up rules. For exam rules, fees and dates, use the CDSS Administrator Certification Bureau as your source.
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