What is the passing score for Linux Essentials?
500 on a scale of 200 to 800
Linux Essentials is graded on a scaled score between 200 and 800, and you need 500 to pass. A scaled score is not a percentage of questions answered correctly: the vendor adjusts for how hard your particular set of questions was, so two candidates with the same number of correct answers can end up with different scores.
This is why you should ignore any site that turns this into a percentage. The scale starts at 200, not at zero, and the points behind it are not distributed evenly.
What this means for your preparation
You cannot convert 500 into "answer N of 40 questions correctly", and nobody outside the vendor can. What you can do is aim well clear of the line and know which domains are dragging you down.
Linux Essentials exam format: domains, weightings and length →
See where you stand across every Linux Essentials domain
885 practice questions with an explanation for every option — and a readiness score per domain, which is the part that tells you whether you are near the line.
Test your Linux Essentials readiness — freeMore on Linux Essentials
- Linux Essentials certification: requirements, cost and exam format →
- Linux Essentials exam format →
- Linux Essentials exam cost →
- Linux Essentials practice questions by domain →
Source: LPI Linux Essentials (010-160) — vendor documentation. Checked October 6, 2026. Vendors change their scoring policies; verify with the vendor before you book.
