GitHub Foundations is GitHub's entry-level certification. It proves you understand Git, repositories, collaboration, project management, security basics, and how modern features like GitHub Actions and Copilot fit together. You don't need to be a developer: the exam is aimed at developers, non-developers, and anyone who works on GitHub.

This guide covers what's on the exam as of the January 2026 update, then gives you 100 original practice questions across all seven domains, weighted like the real exam. Each question hides its answer and an explanation until you open it. These questions are written for practice; they aren't taken from the real exam.

The exam at a glance

  • Exam code: GH-900, for the GitHub Foundations certification.
  • Time: 100 minutes. If the exam isn't offered in your language, you can request 30 extra minutes.
  • Passing score: 700 or higher.
  • Delivery: proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE from the Microsoft Learn certification page. Price depends on the country where you take it.
  • Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, and Japanese.
  • Retakes: you can retake 24 hours after a first failed attempt; later retakes have longer waits.
  • Renewal: none needed. GitHub Foundations follows Microsoft's policy for fundamentals-level exams, which don't expire.
  • Free extras: an official practice assessment and an exam sandbox that shows the real question interface.

Microsoft doesn't publish a fixed number of questions, and the study guide notes that the exam can include preview features if they're commonly used. Check the official pages linked at the end before you book, since details change.

The seven domains and their weights

Horizontal bar chart of GH-900 domain weights: Git and GitHub basics 25 to 30 percent; repositories, collaboration, modern development practices, and privacy, security and administration 10 to 15 percent each; projects and community 5 to 10 percent each
Git and GitHub basics carries roughly twice the weight of any other domain. The table below has the same numbers.
DomainExam weightPractice questions here
Understand Git and GitHub basics25–30%28
Work with GitHub repositories10–15%13
Collaborate using GitHub10–15%13
Apply modern development practices10–15%13
Manage projects with GitHub5–10%10
Understand privacy, security, and administration10–15%13
Explore the GitHub community5–10%10

The January 2026 update rewrote every objective and added new topics: Copilot agents, agent mode, and multi-model support; the differences between Copilot plans; passkeys; Enterprise Managed Users; organization-wide Copilot policies; and repository metrics and dependency insights. Older practice tests won't cover these, and the questions below do.

How to use these questions

Answer each question before opening its answer. Tally your misses per domain; that's your study list. Questions marked Choose two or Choose three need every correct option, just like on the exam. If you get more than about 80% right on the first pass, take the official practice assessment next.

Understand Git and GitHub basics (25–30%)

Questions 1–28.

Diagram of GitHub Flow: create a branch from main, make commits, open a pull request, review, merge into main, then delete the branch
GitHub Flow in six steps. Several questions in this section test the order.

  1. What is the main benefit of using version control?

    1. It makes code run faster
    2. It formats code automatically
    3. It keeps a history of changes so you can review, revert, and collaborate safely
    4. It encrypts source code
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Version control records every change: who made it, when, and why. You can compare versions, undo mistakes, and let several people work on the same files without overwriting each other.

  2. Which statement best describes the difference between Git and GitHub?

    1. They are two names for the same product
    2. Git is a distributed version control system that runs on your computer; GitHub is a cloud platform that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features
    3. You need a GitHub account to use Git
    4. Git is a hosting website; GitHub is the version control tool
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Git works entirely offline on your machine. GitHub hosts Git repositories and layers on issues, pull requests, Actions, Projects, and more. Git doesn't need GitHub at all.

  3. What does it mean that Git is a distributed version control system?

    1. You must be online to commit
    2. The repository exists only on a central server
    3. Files are split across several servers
    4. Every clone contains the full project history
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Each clone is a complete repository with all history, so you can commit, branch, and view history offline, then sync later.

  4. What is a commit?

    1. A copy of one file
    2. A pull request
    3. A snapshot of staged changes, with a message, an author, and a unique ID
    4. A branch
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A commit records the state of the staged files at a point in time. Its ID (a SHA hash) lets you refer back to it forever.

  5. Which Git command stages changes so they're included in the next commit?

    1. git add
    2. git commit
    3. git push
    4. git clone
    Show answer

    Answer: A. git add moves changes into the staging area. git commit then records whatever is staged.

  6. What does git clone do?

    1. Uploads your commits to GitHub
    2. Merges two branches
    3. Creates a new, empty repository
    4. Downloads a full copy of a remote repository, including its history
    Show answer

    Answer: D. git clone copies the repository and all of its history to your machine, and sets up a remote named origin pointing back at the source.

  7. What is a branch in Git?

    1. A permanent label for a release
    2. A lightweight, movable pointer to a commit
    3. A separate repository
    4. A full copy of every file on disk
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Branches are cheap pointers, so creating one is instant. A permanent label for a release is a tag.

  8. Which command downloads new commits from a remote and integrates them into your current branch?

    1. git pull
    2. git push
    3. git commit
    4. git init
    Show answer

    Answer: A. git pull is a git fetch followed by a merge (or a rebase, if configured). git push goes the other way.

  9. What is the difference between git fetch and git pull?

    1. There is no difference
    2. git fetch only works on GitHub
    3. git fetch downloads changes without changing your files; git pull downloads and integrates them
    4. git fetch uploads; git pull downloads
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Fetch is the safe look-before-you-leap option: you can inspect what changed before merging it in.

  10. In Git, what does HEAD refer to?

    1. The first commit in the repository
    2. The commit or branch you currently have checked out
    3. The remote repository
    4. The newest tag
    Show answer

    Answer: B. HEAD points at where you are right now, usually the tip of the current branch.

  11. What is the purpose of a .gitignore file?

    1. To block specific users from pushing
    2. To list contributors to ignore in reviews
    3. To hide a repository from search
    4. To tell Git which files and folders it should not track
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Typical entries are build output, dependency folders like node_modules/, OS clutter like .DS_Store, and local secrets like .env.

  12. When does a merge conflict happen?

    1. Whenever a file is renamed
    2. When a push is rejected for authentication
    3. When two branches change the same lines differently and Git can't combine them automatically
    4. When a branch is deleted
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Git merges most changes automatically. It only stops and asks you to choose when the same part of a file changed in conflicting ways.

  13. What is a GitHub organization?

    1. A shared account where groups of people collaborate across many repositories, with teams and centralized permissions
    2. A personal account for one developer
    3. A billing-only account with no repositories
    4. A self-hosted GitHub server
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Organizations own repositories on behalf of a group, and use teams and roles to manage who can do what.

  14. Which account type lets a company centrally manage policies and billing across multiple organizations?

    1. Team
    2. Personal account
    3. Organization
    4. Enterprise account
    Show answer

    Answer: D. An enterprise account sits above organizations, so administrators can set policies, security settings, and billing in one place.

  15. In GitHub Flow, what is the first step when you start new work?

    1. Open a release
    2. Create a branch from main
    3. Fork your own repository
    4. Commit directly to main
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Every change starts on its own descriptively named branch, which keeps main clean and deployable.

  16. In GitHub Flow, where do changes get reviewed and discussed before they reach main?

    1. In a pull request
    2. In a commit message
    3. In a gist
    4. In the repository wiki
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The pull request is the center of GitHub Flow: discussion, review comments, follow-up commits, and status checks all happen there.

  17. Which of these is not part of GitHub Flow?

    1. Open a pull request
    2. Create a branch
    3. Keep several long-lived release branches maintained in parallel
    4. Merge after review, then delete the branch
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Long-lived develop and release branches belong to heavier models such as Git Flow. GitHub Flow is deliberately lightweight: short-lived branches off main.

  18. In GitHub Flow, what should always be true of the main branch?

    1. It contains only documentation
    2. It's always in a deployable state
    3. Only admins can see it
    4. It's rebuilt from scratch each release
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Because every change lands through a reviewed pull request, main should always be safe to deploy.

  19. Which Markdown creates an unchecked task list item in an issue?

    1. #task Write tests
    2. [] Write tests
    3. * (todo) Write tests
    4. - [ ] Write tests
    Show answer

    Answer: D. - [ ] renders an unchecked checkbox; - [x] renders a checked one. GitHub shows progress for task lists.

  20. How do you notify a specific person in an issue comment?

    1. Add them as a label
    2. Type !username
    3. Type @username
    4. Type #username
    Show answer

    Answer: C. An @mention sends them a notification. # is for referencing issues and pull requests.

  21. In an issue comment, what does typing #42 do?

    1. Links to issue or pull request number 42 in the same repository
    2. Assigns the issue to user 42
    3. Creates a heading
    4. Adds 42 reactions
    Show answer

    Answer: A. GitHub turns #42 into a link and shows a cross-reference on #42.

  22. Which Markdown produces a code block with Python syntax highlighting?

    1. Start each line with >
    2. Wrap the code in <python> tags
    3. Indent the code with a tab and write python above it
    4. Wrap the code in three backticks with python after the opening fence
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Fenced code blocks with a language identifier get syntax highlighting. > starts a blockquote.

  23. A teammate wants a flowchart that's written as text and rendered as a diagram inside a GitHub issue. What should they use?

    1. An attached spreadsheet
    2. A fenced code block with the mermaid language identifier
    3. A wiki link
    4. Base64-encoded image text
    Show answer

    Answer: B. GitHub renders Mermaid diagrams written in fenced code blocks in issues, pull requests, discussions, wikis, and Markdown files.

  24. When is GitHub Desktop the best choice?

    1. Working with Git through a visual app instead of the command line
    2. Hosting a static website
    3. Managing enterprise billing
    4. Running GitHub Actions workflows locally
    Show answer

    Answer: A. GitHub Desktop is a free app for macOS and Windows that handles cloning, committing, branching, and pushing visually.

  25. Which task is GitHub Mobile designed for?

    1. Hosting runners
    2. Editing organization billing
    3. Triaging notifications and reviewing, commenting on, and merging pull requests on the go
    4. Compiling and debugging large projects
    Show answer

    Answer: C. GitHub Mobile, on iOS and Android, keeps you responsive away from your desk. It isn't a development environment.

  26. Which command shows a repository's commit history?

    1. git status
    2. git log
    3. git show-branches
    4. git history
    Show answer

    Answer: B. git log lists commits; git log --oneline gives a compact version. git status shows the current working state, not history.

  27. After cloning a repository, what is origin?

    1. A protected tag
    2. The default branch
    3. The first commit
    4. The default name for the remote you cloned from
    Show answer

    Answer: D. origin is just a conventional name for the remote URL. You can rename it or add others, such as upstream.

  28. A user wants to experiment with a change without affecting anyone else's work. What's the right first move?

    1. Delete and re-clone the repository
    2. Open a discussion
    3. Create a new branch
    4. Commit directly to main and revert later
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Branches isolate work. If the experiment fails, delete the branch; if it works, open a pull request.

Work with GitHub repositories (10–15%)

Questions 29–41.

  1. Where does GitHub display a repository's README.md?

    1. Rendered on the repository's main page
    2. Only inside the Code tab's file list
    3. Only to admins
    4. In the Settings tab
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The README is the repository's front door: what it is, how to install it, and how to use it.

  2. What is the effect of a public repository having no license file?

    1. Anyone may use, modify, and redistribute the code
    2. GitHub assigns the MIT License automatically
    3. The code becomes public domain
    4. Default copyright law applies, so others have no permission to reuse, modify, or distribute it
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Without a license, the author keeps all rights. People can view and fork the code on GitHub under GitHub's terms, but they aren't granted rights to reuse it.

  3. What is a CONTRIBUTING.md file for?

    1. Storing secrets
    2. Explaining how people should contribute: setup, conventions, and how to submit changes
    3. Listing every contributor's email
    4. Configuring CI
    Show answer

    Answer: B. GitHub surfaces a link to the contributing guidelines when people open an issue or a pull request.

  4. What does a CODEOWNERS file do?

    1. Defines who is responsible for specific files or paths, and automatically requests their review on pull requests that change them
    2. Lists sponsors
    3. Blocks forks
    4. Grants admin access to listed users
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Combined with a branch protection rule that requires code owner review, it makes sure the right people approve changes to their areas.

  5. Which file tells people how to report a security vulnerability in your project?

    1. README.md
    2. .gitignore
    3. SECURITY.md
    4. LICENSE
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A security policy is shown in the repository's Security tab, so reporters know to disclose privately rather than in a public issue.

  6. You create a new repository from a template repository. What do you get?

    1. A fork that stays linked to the template
    2. The template's files and folder structure, with a fresh commit history
    3. An exact mirror that updates automatically
    4. Only the README
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Templates are for starting new projects from a known-good layout. Forks keep the history and the upstream link; templates don't.

  7. While editing a file in the browser, you want your change reviewed instead of committed straight to main. Which option should you choose?

    1. Commit directly to the main branch
    2. Save as a gist
    3. Download the file
    4. Create a new branch for this commit and start a pull request
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The web editor offers both. Choosing a new branch keeps GitHub Flow intact even for quick fixes.

  8. Who can view a repository's Traffic insights (views, clones, referrers)?

    1. Only people who starred it
    2. Only GitHub staff
    3. People with push (write) access to the repository
    4. Anyone on the internet
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Traffic data is limited to people with push access, since it reveals usage patterns of the repository.

  9. What does starring a repository do?

    1. Bookmarks it for you and shows appreciation to the maintainers
    2. Grants you write access
    3. Forks it to your account
    4. Subscribes you to all of its notifications
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Stars are bookmarks and a popularity signal, and you can organize them into lists. Notifications come from watching, not starring.

  10. Where do you opt in to try GitHub features that are still in preview?

    1. Repository Settings → Danger Zone
    2. A .github/preview.yml file
    3. The Marketplace
    4. Feature preview, in your account menu
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Feature preview lists features you can switch on or off for your own account while they're being tested.

  11. Which feature lists the packages a repository depends on, based on its manifest and lock files?

    1. Pulse
    2. Dependency graph
    3. Network graph
    4. Traffic
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The dependency graph powers dependency insights and Dependabot alerts about vulnerable packages.

  12. Which repository insight summarizes recent activity, such as merged pull requests and opened and closed issues, over a period you choose?

    1. Pulse
    2. Community standards
    3. Dependency graph
    4. Forks
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Pulse gives a quick health check of how active a repository has been over the last day, week, or month.

  13. A project is finished but you want to keep it visible and clearly signal that it's no longer maintained. What should you do?

    1. Delete it
    2. Make it private
    3. Archive it, which makes it read-only
    4. Remove all collaborators
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Archived repositories stay readable and cloneable, but issues, pull requests, and pushes are closed off. You can unarchive later.

Collaborate using GitHub (10–15%)

Questions 42–54.

  1. What are GitHub issues primarily used for?

    1. Hosting releases
    2. Tracking bugs, tasks, ideas, and feedback
    3. Storing large binary files
    4. Running automated tests
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Issues are the to-do list and bug tracker of a repository, with labels, assignees, milestones, and comments.

  2. When is GitHub Discussions a better fit than an issue?

    1. For code review
    2. For CI failures
    3. For a confirmed bug with reproduction steps
    4. For open-ended conversations: questions, ideas, announcements, and community Q&A
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Discussions keep conversation out of the issue tracker. In a Q&A category, a reply can be marked as the answer.

  3. Which pull request description automatically closes issue #12 when the PR is merged into the default branch?

    1. Related to #12
    2. See #12
    3. Fixes #12
    4. Mentions #12
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Closing keywords only take effect when the pull request merges into the repository's default branch.

  4. Which two of these are valid closing keywords? (Choose two.)

    1. Completes
    2. Ends
    3. Resolves
    4. Fixes
    Show answer

    Answer: C and D. GitHub's closing keywords are close/closes/closed, fix/fixes/fixed, and resolve/resolves/resolved.

  5. Where do issue templates live in a repository?

    1. Repository Settings only
    2. The repository root, as issues.md
    3. The wiki
    4. The .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ folder
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Markdown templates and YAML issue forms placed there appear as choices when someone opens a new issue.

  6. What does a file named pull_request_template.md do?

    1. Blocks pull requests from forks
    2. Pre-fills the description of every new pull request
    3. Merges pull requests automatically
    4. Lists required reviewers
    Show answer

    Answer: B. It can live in the repository root, docs/, or .github/, and usually holds a checklist and prompts for context.

  7. What is a draft pull request?

    1. A pull request marked as not ready for review, which can't be merged until it's marked ready
    2. A pull request with no commits
    3. A pull request that's already merged
    4. A private pull request hidden from collaborators
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Drafts let you share work early and run checks without signaling that review is needed yet.

  8. Which search filter shows open issues assigned to you?

    1. type:issue owner:me
    2. open issues mine
    3. is:issue is:open assignee:@me
    4. is:open assigned:me
    Show answer

    Answer: C. assignee:@me works anywhere GitHub accepts search qualifiers, including saved views.

  9. You're watching a busy repository and only want notifications when you participate in a conversation or are @mentioned. Which watch setting do you choose?

    1. Ignore
    2. Participating and @mentions
    3. Starred only
    4. All Activity
    Show answer

    Answer: B. That's the quiet default for most repositories. Ignore stops notifications entirely, even @mentions.

  10. You only care about new versions of a project. Which watch option fits?

    1. Ignore
    2. All Activity
    3. Participating and @mentions
    4. Custom, with only Releases selected
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Custom lets you pick event types such as issues, pull requests, releases, discussions, and security alerts.

  11. Which statement about a secret gist is correct?

    1. It can't be edited after creation
    2. Only you can ever see it
    3. It isn't listed or searchable, but anyone with its URL can view it
    4. It's encrypted with your SSH key
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Secret isn't private. Don't put credentials in any gist.

  12. Which statement about a repository wiki is correct?

    1. It's a separate Git repository that you can clone and edit locally
    2. It's stored inside the repository's main branch
    3. It can only be edited by GitHub staff
    4. It runs server-side code
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Wikis are their own Git repository (REPO.wiki.git), useful for long-form documentation.

  13. Which of these can GitHub Pages not host?

    1. A site built by a static site generator
    2. Project documentation built by a GitHub Actions workflow
    3. A static HTML/CSS site
    4. A server-side PHP application with a database
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Pages serves static files only, published from a branch or by a GitHub Actions workflow.

Apply modern development practices (10–15%)

Questions 55–67.

  1. What is GitHub Actions?

    1. A package registry
    2. A CI/CD and automation platform that runs workflows in response to events
    3. A project board
    4. A code review bot
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Workflows build, test, and deploy code, or automate repository chores, when events such as pushes, pull requests, or schedules occur.

  2. Where must GitHub Actions workflow files be stored?

    1. .github/workflows/
    2. .github/actions/workflows.json
    3. Repository Settings
    4. The repository root, as actions.yml
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Every YAML file in .github/workflows/ is a workflow.

  3. Which event runs a workflow when a pull request is opened or updated?

    1. push
    2. fork
    3. pull_request
    4. release
    Show answer

    Answer: C. pull_request is the standard CI trigger for testing proposed changes before they merge.

  4. What is GitHub Copilot?

    1. A Git client
    2. An AI coding assistant that suggests code, answers questions, and can carry out tasks in your editor and on GitHub
    3. A deployment service
    4. A static code analyzer
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Copilot works across code completion, chat, and agents, in IDEs, on GitHub.com, and in the CLI.

  5. In your IDE, what does Copilot agent mode do that ordinary chat doesn't?

    1. Nothing; it's a different name for chat
    2. Only completes one line at a time
    3. Deploys your code to production
    4. Works autonomously on a task: planning, editing multiple files, running commands, and iterating, while you review the result
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Agent mode acts on your local workspace instead of only answering questions.

  6. How does Copilot cloud agent differ from agent mode?

    1. It runs only in the terminal
    2. It can't edit files
    3. It works in the background in a cloud environment and opens a pull request for you to review
    4. It only works offline
    Show answer

    Answer: C. You hand it a task, for example from an issue, and it researches, implements, and tests in an ephemeral environment rather than your IDE.

  7. What does multi-model support in Copilot mean?

    1. On plans that allow it, you can choose between AI models from different providers for a task
    2. Models are trained on your private code by default
    3. Copilot runs several IDEs at once
    4. Every suggestion is generated twice
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Paid plans offer a choice of models. Copilot Free and Copilot Student use automatic model selection.

  8. Which two Copilot plans give organizations centralized management and policy control for their members? (Choose two.)

    1. Copilot Free
    2. Copilot Pro
    3. Copilot Business
    4. Copilot Enterprise
    Show answer

    Answer: C and D. Business adds centralized management and Copilot policy control; Enterprise includes everything in Business plus more. Free, Pro, and the other individual plans are for individuals.

  9. Which statement about Copilot Free is correct?

    1. It's purchased per seat by organizations
    2. It's for individual developers, with limited monthly usage
    3. It includes every premium model
    4. It's only available on GitHub Enterprise Server
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Plan limits change over time, so check GitHub's plans page. Copilot isn't available on GitHub Enterprise Server.

  10. What is GitHub Codespaces?

    1. A cloud-hosted development environment, a configurable container you open in the browser or in VS Code
    2. A code search engine
    3. A desktop Git client
    4. A free static website host
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Codespaces gives everyone the same ready-to-code environment in seconds, with a terminal, debugging, and extensions.

  11. Which file customizes a codespace's dev container, setting tools, extensions, and settings?

    1. .github/codespace.yml
    2. package.json
    3. .devcontainer/devcontainer.json
    4. Dockerfile.codespace
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Commit devcontainer.json (optionally with a Dockerfile) and every codespace for the repository starts with the same setup.

  12. How do you open the github.dev editor for a repository?

    1. Run gh dev open
    2. Press the . key while viewing the repository on GitHub.com
    3. Install an extension first
    4. It's only available in GitHub Desktop
    Show answer

    Answer: B. You can also change github.com to github.dev in the URL. It opens a lightweight VS Code editor in the browser.

  13. You need to run tests and use a terminal without installing anything locally. Which should you use?

    1. github.dev
    2. A gist
    3. GitHub Pages
    4. GitHub Codespaces
    Show answer

    Answer: D. github.dev is a browser editor with no terminal or compute, good for quick edits. Codespaces runs on a virtual machine, so you can build, run, and debug.

Manage projects with GitHub (5–10%)

Questions 68–77.

  1. What is GitHub Projects?

    1. A CI dashboard
    2. A single repository template
    3. A flexible planning tool that tracks issues, pull requests, and draft items with custom fields and multiple views
    4. A wiki engine
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Projects can pull items from multiple repositories in an organization and stay in sync with them.

  2. Which three layouts can a GitHub Projects view use? (Choose three.)

    1. Roadmap
    2. Mind map
    3. Board
    4. Table
    Show answer

    Answer: A, C, D. Table is spreadsheet-like, board is kanban columns, and roadmap is a timeline driven by date or iteration fields.

  3. Which custom field type plans work in repeating time blocks, such as two-week sprints?

    1. Single select
    2. Text
    3. Number
    4. Iteration
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Iteration fields define a cadence and can include breaks, and they power roadmap and insights views.

  4. What are labels used for?

    1. Tagging releases
    2. Categorizing issues and pull requests, for example bug, documentation, or good first issue
    3. Encrypting comments
    4. Controlling repository access
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Labels make filtering and triage fast, and they're shared across a repository's issues and pull requests.

  5. What does a milestone provide?

    1. A group of issues and pull requests toward a goal, with an optional due date and a progress percentage
    2. A deployment environment
    3. A team permission
    4. A protected branch
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Milestones answer "how close is this release?" at a glance.

  6. A team wants every closed issue in their project to move to the Done status automatically. What should they use?

    1. A gist
    2. A saved reply
    3. A built-in project workflow
    4. A CODEOWNERS rule
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Built-in workflows can set a status when items close or merge, and can auto-add or auto-archive items.

  7. What are saved replies?

    1. Automatic responses sent by bots
    2. Reusable text snippets, tied to your account, that you can insert into issue and pull request comments
    3. Archived discussions
    4. Drafts of commit messages
    Show answer

    Answer: B. They speed up common answers such as "please add reproduction steps". They belong to your personal account, not a repository.

  8. What does assigning someone to an issue communicate?

    1. They reported it
    2. They are a repository admin
    3. They must approve the related pull request
    4. They are responsible for working on it
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Assignees make ownership visible and filterable, for example with assignee:@me.

  9. Which Projects feature charts items over time to track progress, for example a burn-up chart?

    1. Network graph
    2. Pulse
    3. Insights
    4. Traffic
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Project insights build current and historical charts from your project's fields.

  10. What is a draft issue in GitHub Projects?

    1. A lightweight item that exists only in the project until you convert it to a real issue in a repository
    2. A deleted issue
    3. An issue in a private repository
    4. An issue awaiting approval from an admin
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Drafts are perfect for quick planning notes. Convert them when they're ready for real work.

Understand privacy, security, and administration (10–15%)

Questions 78–90.

Diagram of the five GitHub repository roles in increasing access: Read, Triage, Write, Maintain, Admin, each including the permissions of the roles before it
Read → Triage → Write → Maintain → Admin. Exam questions usually ask for the lowest role that fits.

  1. What does two-factor authentication (2FA) add to your GitHub account?

    1. Automatic backups
    2. A second password
    3. Encryption of your repositories
    4. A second proof of identity, beyond your password, when you sign in
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Even if your password leaks, an attacker still needs your second factor.

  2. Which sign-in method is the most resistant to phishing?

    1. SMS codes
    2. A passkey or physical security key
    3. Codes from an authenticator app
    4. Security questions
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Passkeys are bound to the real site, so a look-alike phishing page can't use them. On GitHub they can be used to sign in and satisfy 2FA.

  3. Which is the lowest repository role that can manage issues and pull requests (labels, assignees, closing) without being able to push code?

    1. Triage
    2. Read
    3. Maintain
    4. Write
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Triage is designed for people who organize work but don't change code.

  4. A developer needs to push branches and merge pull requests, but shouldn't change repository settings. Which role fits best?

    1. Read
    2. Admin
    3. Write
    4. Triage
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Write is the usual role for contributing developers. Settings changes need Maintain or Admin.

  5. What distinguishes the Maintain role from Admin?

    1. There is no difference
    2. Maintain can manage the repository without access to sensitive or destructive actions, such as deleting it or changing its visibility
    3. Maintain can delete the repository
    4. Maintain can't push code
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Admin is full control. Maintain covers day-to-day repository management for project managers.

  6. What can an organization owner do?

    1. Only create gists
    2. Only view repositories
    3. Only manage billing
    4. Everything: full administrative access to the organization, including members, settings, and billing
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Keep the number of owners small. Other organization roles, such as billing manager, are deliberately narrower.

  7. Why use teams in an organization?

    1. To host websites
    2. To split billing
    3. To give a group of people the same repository access at once and @mention them together
    4. To create forks
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Teams can be nested, so access changes for a group happen in one place.

  8. What is an outside collaborator?

    1. Someone with access to one or more of an organization's repositories who isn't a member of the organization
    2. A GitHub employee
    3. A bot account
    4. Any public contributor
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Contractors are the typical example. They get specific repository access without full membership.

  9. Which repository visibility makes a repository visible to all members of an enterprise, but not to the public?

    1. Private
    2. Secret
    3. Public
    4. Internal
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Internal repositories are only available to organizations owned by an enterprise account, and they're the foundation of InnerSource.

  10. What is the main purpose of a branch protection rule on main?

    1. Hide the branch from search
    2. Enforce requirements such as approved reviews and passing status checks before changes can merge
    3. Delete merged branches
    4. Encrypt the branch
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Branch protection rules and rulesets stop unreviewed or failing changes from reaching important branches.

  11. Which statement about Enterprise Managed Users (EMU) is correct?

    1. The enterprise's identity provider provisions and controls the accounts, and managed users can't create public content or collaborate outside the enterprise
    2. EMU only affects billing
    3. Users create and own their accounts, then join the enterprise
    4. EMU is a free plan for individuals
    Show answer

    Answer: A. EMU gives an enterprise central control over how accounts are created, how they sign in, and what they can access.

  12. An organization on Copilot Business wants to control which Copilot features its members may use. Who sets these policies?

    1. Each member individually
    2. Repository admins, per repository
    3. Organization owners, through the organization's Copilot policies
    4. GitHub Support
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Centralized Copilot policy management is one of the main reasons organizations choose Business or Enterprise.

  13. You need to make sure everyone in your organization uses 2FA. What's the most effective approach?

    1. Remove all outside collaborators
    2. Require two-factor authentication in the organization's security settings
    3. Make all repositories private
    4. Ask members by email
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Once 2FA is required, members and outside collaborators without it lose access until they enable it.

Explore the GitHub community (5–10%)

Questions 91–100.

  1. Which is a benefit of open source software?

    1. The code can't be reused by others
    2. It never needs maintenance
    3. Only paid users can see the code
    4. Transparency, community contributions, and the ability to reuse and improve shared code
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Open source lets anyone inspect, learn from, and improve software, subject to its license.

  2. What is GitHub Sponsors?

    1. A badge for popular repositories
    2. A paid support plan from GitHub
    3. A way to fund open source developers and organizations through recurring or one-time payments
    4. A hiring board
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Sponsorship helps maintainers spend sustainable time on the projects many people rely on.

  3. What happens when you follow a user on GitHub?

    1. Their public activity appears in your personal dashboard feed
    2. They're notified of your commits
    3. You get write access to their repositories
    4. You automatically star their repositories
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Following keeps you informed without subscribing to every notification. You can follow organizations too.

  4. What is the GitHub Marketplace for?

    1. Hiring developers
    2. Buying GitHub hardware
    3. Selling repositories
    4. Discovering actions and apps that extend GitHub and your workflows
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It's the catalog for reusable GitHub Actions and GitHub Apps, both free and paid.

  5. What is InnerSource?

    1. A private marketplace
    2. Applying open source practices, such as open collaboration, pull requests, and shared code, inside an organization
    3. A type of license
    4. Open-sourcing a company's code publicly
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Internal visibility, clear contribution guidelines, and code review across teams are typical InnerSource building blocks.

  6. You want to propose a change to a project you don't have write access to. What do you typically do?

    1. Fork it, make the change in your fork, and open a pull request to the original repository
    2. Create a repository from its template
    3. Download a ZIP and email the changes
    4. Ask for admin access
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Forks stay connected to the upstream repository, which is what makes cross-repository pull requests possible.

  7. When should you use a template repository instead of a fork?

    1. When you need the original commit history
    2. When you want to contribute changes back upstream
    3. When you want to start a new, independent project from a standard starting point, with clean history
    4. Never; they're the same
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Templates are for starting new projects; forks are for contributing back.

  8. A maintainer wants to point newcomers to approachable tasks. What's the common convention?

    1. Make the issues private
    2. Label suitable issues good first issue
    3. Pin every issue
    4. Lock the repository
    Show answer

    Answer: B. GitHub surfaces issues with this label to people looking for a place to start contributing.

  9. How can you make a public repository easier to discover?

    1. Archive it
    2. Rename it frequently
    3. Disable issues
    4. Add relevant topics to the repository
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Topics classify a repository by subject, language, or purpose, and power topic pages and search.

  10. Where can a maintainer check whether a public repository has the recommended community health files, such as a code of conduct, contributing guide, and license?

    1. Feature preview
    2. The Actions tab
    3. Insights → Community standards
    4. Repository Settings → Billing
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The community standards checklist shows what's present and links to add anything missing.

Final tips for exam day

  • Spend your time where the points are. Git and GitHub basics is up to 30% of the exam: GitHub Flow, Markdown, and core Git terms are near-guaranteed points.
  • Learn the role ladder cold. "Lowest role that can…" questions come up a lot, and the answer is almost always Triage, Write, or Maintain.
  • Know which tool fits which job: github.dev versus Codespaces, issues versus Discussions, forks versus templates, GitHub Desktop versus GitHub Mobile. Many questions are about choosing between two similar features.
  • Click through it yourself. Create a project with an iteration field, add a CODEOWNERS file, open a codespace, try Copilot agent mode. Fifteen minutes of hands-on practice beats an hour of reading.
  • Use the exam sandbox before exam day, so the interface doesn't cost you time.

Official resources

For hands-on practice on this site, work through Git and GitHub from the Command Line: 100 Quick Lessons and GitHub Actions: 100 Quick Lessons in CI/CD.