CHS-WDEV1 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

The Exam at a Glance

This page condenses what a candidate for the CodeHS Web Development Level 1 Certification needs to carry into test day. It is a review sheet, not a replacement for practice. If you are still deciding how to prepare, start with the CHS-WDEV1 study guide, then return here for a final pass. If you are new to the credential itself, what CHS-WDEV1 is covers the basics.

The 60% threshold is a score you must reach, not a pass rate across test takers. No official pass rate has been verified, so be skeptical of any site quoting one. For the full discussion, see what the pass-rate data actually shows and the breakdown of the passing score.

The Four Official Topic Groups

The issuer's exam overview lists four top-level topic headings. They are official groupings of exam content, not course-module counts and not a percentage-weighted blueprint. CodeHS has not published weights per domain that we could verify, so treat all four as fair game and do not assume one is "worth more."

1. JavaScript in HTML
2. jQuery
3. Storing and Collecting Data
4. How to Build and Maintain a Website

The overview also expressly retains jQuery, callbacks and synchronization, APIs, forms, user-data analysis, hosting, and CMS use. Those are the specific items worth drilling. For a deeper tour of each area, the complete guide to all four content areas goes further than this cheat sheet can.

Domain 1: JavaScript in HTML

The callback-order trap

Callbacks and synchronization are where multiple-choice questions can quietly punish shallow knowledge. A function passed as a callback does not run at the moment you write it; it runs when the triggering event or response arrives. When a snippet logs messages both inside and outside a callback, the question is almost always testing whether you know the outside code finishes first. Practice tracing by hand: write the lines in the order they will actually execute, not the order they appear on the screen.

APIs without the mystique

At this level, think of an API as a way to ask another service for data and then do something with the reply. The reply does not arrive instantly, which ties directly back to callbacks. If you can explain why code that depends on API data must live inside the code that handles the response, you have the core idea.

Domain 2: jQuery

jQuery is explicitly named in the exam overview, so do not skip it because it feels dated. The exam covers it, and a candidate who only studied plain JavaScript will lose points here.

Because the exam is multiple choice with no reference sheet, you must recognize jQuery syntax from memory. A good drill is to take one plain JavaScript task, such as hiding an element when a button is clicked, and write it both ways until the jQuery version feels as natural as the plain one.

Domain 3: Storing and Collecting Data

This group covers how a site gathers information from users and keeps it. The overview specifically retains forms and user-data analysis. Separately, the CodeHS Web Development course outline teaches JSON, cookies, and local storage. Those are verified preparation topics, but they are not listed as separate exam objectives, so use them to build understanding of the domain without assuming they are an exhaustive list of what appears on the test.

Quick contrasts worth memorizing

When you study cookies and local storage, build a two-column comparison in your own words: what each is meant for, how long it persists, and who can read it. Questions in this area often present a scenario, such as remembering a visitor's preference, and ask which approach fits. Knowing the differences cold is faster than reasoning from scratch under a 90-minute clock.

Domain 4: How to Build and Maintain a Website

The broadest-sounding group is also the one candidates most often under-prepare, because it feels like common knowledge. The overview retains hosting and CMS use here, so concrete vocabulary matters.

Expect conceptual, definition-and-scenario questions here rather than code tracing. A useful self-test: explain to a friend why someone would choose a CMS over hand-written pages, and what has to happen before a finished site is reachable on the web. If you stumble, that is your review target.

Exam-Day Rules You Can Memorize

• Proctoring: testing is available at home or at school, monitored by a teacher or authorized proctor through the CodeHS Certifications app and Proctor Dashboard.
• Integrity tools: an Honor Code, randomly selected questions, and Focus Mode. Focus Mode blocks navigation to other CodeHS pages; it is not described as a system-wide browser lockdown, so do not rely on it to stop you from drifting and do not assume other apps are blocked for you.
• One sitting: the exam must be completed in a single session.
• Allowed materials: paper, a pencil, and a calculator are suggested. No reference sheet is provided.
• Prohibited: external websites, collaboration, copying or sharing exam questions, and running code in another website or program.
• Accommodations: extended-time and read-aloud are supported; other requests require platform review.

To plan your test window, see the notes on exam dates and scheduling, and the page on requirements and eligibility if you are unsure whether you qualify. Short version: there are no certification prerequisites.

Vouchers, Retakes, and Results

CodeHS provides school and district voucher pricing by direct quote. No public numeric fee was verified, so any specific dollar figure you see elsewhere should be treated with caution. The mechanics, however, are clear:

• Each purchased voucher permits one attempt.
• Retakes have no numerical limit, but each additional attempt requires another purchased voucher.
• Unused school or district vouchers expire at the end of the contract term and do not roll over between school years.

That last point matters for planning: if your school holds vouchers, ask your teacher about the contract deadline so unused vouchers are not wasted. The certification cost breakdown explains how to think about pricing when no public number exists.

Results are released within 36 hours on school days. You receive an overall score and a topic-level performance report, and successful candidates can download a certificate. The topic-level report is valuable if you need a retake, since it points to which of the four groups cost you points. The certificate expires after 10 years.

Sequencing Your Final Review

If you have about a week and want a plan tied to the four domains, order matters. Start with the areas where one concept unlocks another.

Use the practice test for the timed sets, and keep a running list of every miss with the domain it belongs to. For a broader sense of where candidates struggle, read how hard the CHS-WDEV1 exam is.

Facts the Cheat Sheet Will Not Give You

A one-page review is only as good as its limits. Some details are simply not verified, and honest preparation means knowing where the gaps are.

• No official pass rate. The 60% figure is a passing score, not a cohort statistic.
• No verified domain weights. The four groups are unweighted headings, so do not budget study time by invented percentages.
• No verified scored/unscored item split. Treat every question as if it counts.
• No exhaustive topic list. The sample questions and certification guide linked from the issuer's overview could not be re-retrieved, so rely on the four headings and the course materials, and expect that questions may touch ideas near the listed topics.
• Prior knowledge is not a gate. Courses may expect familiarity with HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, but that expectation is not a certification admission requirement.

If you are weighing whether the credential is worth your time, see the ROI analysis. If you are thinking about what comes after, the jobs overview discusses how the certification fits into entry-level web work without inflating what a school-based credential can promise.

Frequently Asked Questions

For deeper background, the certification overview and the main practice test site are good next stops.