- The Number: 60% on 45 Questions
- What 60% Actually Means in Practice
- Passing Score vs. Pass Rate: Don't Confuse Them
- The Six Domains Behind Your Score
- Your Score Report and Certificate
- Format and Rules That Affect Your Score
- Voucher Mechanics: Why Each Attempt Counts
- Setting a Realistic Target Score
- A Domain-First Study Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The CodeHS JavaScript Level 1 Certification requires a 60% score on a 45-question, 90-minute online exam.
- The 60% threshold is a cut score, not a pass rate; CodeHS has not verified an official pass rate.
- Results arrive within 36 hours on school days, with an overall score and topic-level performance report.
- Each voucher permits one attempt; retakes are unlimited but each one requires another purchased voucher.
The Number: 60% on 45 Questions
The passing score for the CodeHS JavaScript Level 1 Certification is 60%. The exam consists of 45 multiple-choice questions delivered online in a 90-minute sitting. That is the entire official scoring requirement: reach 60% overall and you earn the credential. This article is about the CodeHS credential specifically, so everything below applies to JavaScript Level 1 as issued by CodeHS and nothing else that happens to share the CHS-JS1 label.
If you are still orienting yourself, our explainer What Is CHS-JS1 Certification? covers the credential from the ground up. For eligibility details, see CHS-JS1 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. The short version: there are no certification prerequisites, and the CodeHS course Introduction to Computer Science in JavaScript (Corgi) is recommended preparation rather than a gate you must clear.
What 60% Actually Means in Practice
A 60% threshold sounds forgiving, and in one sense it is: you can miss a meaningful number of questions and still pass. But a multiple-choice exam about code punishes shallow familiarity in a particular way. Many items ask you to trace what a snippet does, predict an output, or spot the bug. Guessing helps less than it would on a vocabulary quiz, because plausible-looking wrong answers are built from common mistakes.
Why the margin is thinner than it looks
- Questions are randomly selected. You cannot predict which topics get more items on your particular attempt, so a weak domain can cost you more or less depending on the draw.
- Nothing is official about domain weighting. CodeHS lists six topic groups but does not publish percentage weights, so you cannot safely skip one.
- Tracing questions take time. With 90 minutes for 45 items, you have roughly two minutes per question on average, which is comfortable for recall but tighter for multi-step code tracing.
For a candid look at how demanding the content is, read How Hard Is the CHS-JS1 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Passing Score vs. Pass Rate: Don't Confuse Them
These two ideas get mixed up constantly. The passing score is the individual threshold you must reach: 60%. The pass rate is the share of all test-takers who clear that threshold. They are different measurements, and the first tells you nothing about the second.
| Concept | What it measures | CodeHS JavaScript Level 1 status |
|---|---|---|
| Passing score | Minimum overall result you need | 60%, officially stated |
| Pass rate | Share of candidates who pass | No official figure verified |
| Scored/unscored item split | How many of the 45 items count toward your score | Not verified |
| Domain weights | Percentage of items per topic group | Not published; six unweighted topic groups only |
Because no official pass rate has been verified, any specific percentage you see quoted online should be treated skeptically. We walk through what is and is not known in CHS-JS1 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
The Six Domains Behind Your Score
Your overall percentage is built from performance across six official topic groups. CodeHS presents them as unweighted headings, not as a percentage blueprint, so the right mindset is breadth first: be solid on all six rather than brilliant on two. For a deeper walkthrough, see CHS-JS1 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Data Types and Operators
The foundation. Questions here test whether you know what values and expressions evaluate to.
- Distinguish numbers, strings, and booleans, and predict results of mixed-type expressions
- Apply arithmetic, comparison, and logical operators correctly, including order of evaluation
- Work through variable assignment and updating values
Domain 2: Conditionals
Decision logic that determines which code path runs.
- Trace if, else if, and else chains to find which branch executes
- Evaluate compound conditions built from logical operators
- Spot off-by-one and boundary mistakes in comparisons
Domain 3: Loops
Repetition is a rich source of tracing questions.
- Predict how many times a loop body runs and what final values result
- Read for and while loop structure, including start, condition, and update
- Recognize loops that never end or never start
Domain 4: Program Structure
How code is organized into reusable, readable pieces.
- Understand functions, parameters, and return values
- Follow how values flow into and out of a function call
- Reason about how a program's parts fit together
Domain 5: Error Handling
What happens when code does not behave as intended.
- Identify the kinds of errors a program can produce
- Read short snippets to locate where a problem occurs
- Understand how a program can be written to respond to failures
Domain 6: Objects
Grouping related data and behavior.
- Read and interpret object properties and how they are accessed
- Predict outcomes after properties are added or changed
- Connect objects to the structures used elsewhere in a program
Your Score Report and Certificate
Results are released within 36 hours on school days. You receive an overall score plus a topic-level performance report. That report is the most useful artifact if you do not pass the first time, because it shows which of the six areas dragged your result down. Successful candidates receive a downloadable certificate, and earned certificates are valid for 10 years before they expire.
Note the phrase "within 36 hours on school days." If you test on a weekend or holiday, expect the clock to run on school days rather than calendar days. For scheduling considerations, see CHS-JS1 Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Key Takeaway
Treat a first attempt's topic-level report as a diagnostic, not a verdict. If you fall short, the report tells you which domain to rebuild before spending another voucher.
Format and Rules That Affect Your Score
Several exam conditions shape how you reach that 60%, so know them before test day.
- One sitting. The exam must be completed in a single session, so plan your 90 minutes without interruptions.
- Honor Code and random questions. You agree to an Honor Code, and questions are randomly selected, so memorizing a fixed list will not work.
- Focus Mode. This blocks navigation to other CodeHS pages. CodeHS does not describe it as a system-wide browser lockdown, so do not assume it controls everything on your device, and do not rely on it as a reason to relax the rules.
- Proctoring. Testing is available at home or school with teacher or authorized proctor monitoring through the CodeHS Certifications app and Proctor Dashboard.
- Allowed materials. CodeHS suggests paper, a pencil, and a calculator, which are handy for tracing code and arithmetic.
- Prohibited behavior. External websites, collaboration, copying or sharing exam questions, and running code in another website or program are not allowed.
- Accommodations. Extended-time and read-aloud accommodations are supported; other requests require platform review.
The paper-and-pencil suggestion is more than housekeeping. Tracing a loop by hand, writing each variable's value as it changes, is exactly how many candidates convert a tricky question into a straightforward one. Pair that habit with the one-page review in CHS-JS1 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Voucher Mechanics: Why Each Attempt Counts
Your passing score connects directly to cost, because CodeHS handles access through vouchers. Each purchased voucher permits one attempt. Retakes have no numerical limit, but every additional attempt requires another purchased voucher. School and district vouchers are priced by direct quote from CodeHS, and no public numeric fee was verified, so we do not quote a dollar amount here. Unused school or district vouchers expire at the end of the contract term and do not roll over between school years.
| Voucher fact | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| One attempt per voucher | A failed attempt consumes the voucher |
| Unlimited retakes in principle | No cap, but each retake needs a new voucher |
| Pricing by direct quote | Ask your school or district; no verified public fee |
| Expiry at end of contract term | Unused vouchers do not carry over to the next school year |
The practical lesson: attempts are not free practice. Because a voucher is consumed whether you pass or not, it pays to arrive prepared rather than treating the real exam as a trial run. See CHS-JS1 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown for how to think about the economics, and check with your teacher about voucher availability before you plan retakes.
Setting a Realistic Target Score
Passing at exactly 60% leaves no room for an unlucky draw of questions. A better approach is to set a personal readiness bar above the official threshold on practice material, then use the real exam's randomness as a buffer rather than a gamble.
A simple readiness test
- Take a full-length practice set under timed conditions, with paper and a reference sheet only.
- Score it overall, then break the result out by the six domains.
- If any single domain is clearly your weakest, treat it as your risk area, since you cannot know how many items it will contribute.
- Repeat until your overall practice score sits comfortably above 60% and no domain is a glaring gap.
You can run exactly this kind of timed, domain-by-domain check on our CHS-JS1 practice tests. If you are weighing whether the effort is worthwhile, the analysis in Is the CHS-JS1 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the tradeoffs.
A Domain-First Study Sequence
Because the six domains build on one another, schedule them in dependency order. Data Types and Operators come first because every other topic assumes you can evaluate an expression. Conditionals and Loops come next because they control program flow. Program Structure, Error Handling, and Objects then build on that base. If you completed Introduction to Computer Science in JavaScript (Corgi), use it as your structured review.
Data Types and Operators
- Practice predicting expression results by hand
- Drill operator behavior until evaluation feels automatic
Conditionals and Loops
- Trace branches and iteration counts on paper
- Focus on boundary conditions and final variable values
Program Structure, Error Handling, Objects
- Follow values through function calls and returns
- Read snippets for errors and object property changes
Full-Length Timed Practice
- Run complete 45-question sets in 90 minutes
- Revisit whichever domain your practice report flags as weakest
For a fuller plan, including how to pace review, see CHS-JS1 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. If you want structured instruction, our CHS-JS1 Training page outlines the options, and you can sharpen your skills any time on the main practice test site.
Frequently Asked Questions
The passing score is 60%. The exam has 45 multiple-choice questions and a 90-minute time limit, and you must reach 60% overall to earn the certificate.
No. The 60% figure is the score an individual needs. The pass rate would be the share of all candidates who succeed, and CodeHS has not published an official pass rate that we could verify.
Sixty percent of 45 is 27, which is a useful planning number. However, no scored versus unscored item split has been verified, so aim comfortably above 27 rather than targeting it exactly.
Yes. There is no numerical limit on retakes, but each voucher permits only one attempt, so every additional try requires another purchased voucher. Unused school or district vouchers expire at the end of the contract term.
Results are released within 36 hours on school days. You get an overall score and a topic-level performance report, and successful candidates can download a certificate that remains valid for 10 years.