CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30A-2(B) UNDER THE 1940 ACT AND
                     SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

I, James A. Bowen, Chairman of the Board,  President and Chief Executive Officer
of First Trust Tax-Advantaged Preferred Income Fund (the "Registrant"),  certify
that:

         1.     The Form N-CSR of the Registrant  (the "Report")  fully complies
                with  the   requirements  of  Section  13(a)  or  15(d)  of  the
                Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

         2.     The information  contained in the Report fairly presents, in all
                material  respects,  the  financial  condition  and  results  of
                operations of the Registrant.

Date:    DECEMBER 22, 2008        /S/ JAMES A. BOWEN
     -------------------------    ---------------------------------------------
                                  James A. Bowen, Chairman of the Board,
                                  President and Chief Executive Officer
                                  (principal executive officer)

I, Mark R. Bradley,  Treasurer,  Controller,  Chief Financial  Officer and Chief
Accounting  Officer of First  Trust  Tax-Advantaged  Preferred  Income Fund (the
"Registrant"), certify that:

         1.     The Form N-CSR of the Registrant  (the "Report")  fully complies
                with  the   requirements  of  Section  13(a)  or  15(d)  of  the
                Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

         2.     The information  contained in the Report fairly presents, in all
                material  respects,  the  financial  condition  and  results  of
                operations of the Registrant.

Date:    DECEMBER 22, 2008       /S/ MARK R. BRADLEY
     -------------------------   ----------------------------------------------
                                 Mark R. Bradley, Treasurer, Controller,
                                 Chief Financial Officer and Chief
                                 Accounting Officer principal financial officer)