GitHub · GH-900
Validates understanding of foundational topics, products, and concepts of collaborating, contributing, and working on GitHub.
Practice Questions
409
≈ 5 practice exams
Duration
100 minutes
Passing Score
700/1000
Difficulty
FoundationalLast Updated
Jan 2026
Use this GH-900 practice exam to prepare for GitHub Foundations (GH-900) with realistic questions, detailed explanations, and focused study modes. The practice bank includes 409 questions for GitHub GH-900, so you can review the exam steadily instead of relying on one long cram session.
As you practice, pay extra attention to recurring topics such as Introduction to Git and GitHub, Working with GitHub Repositories, Collaboration Features, Modern Development, and Project Management. Start with short sessions to identify weak areas, then move into timed quizzes once your accuracy is consistent.
The explanations are especially useful when you want to connect exam wording to the responsibilities and scenarios described in the official certification guidance. Use the free preview first, then unlock the full question bank when you are ready to build a complete study routine.
The GitHub Foundations certification (GH-900) validates a candidate's understanding of the foundational topics, products, and concepts central to collaborating, contributing, and working on GitHub. The exam covers Git version control fundamentals, GitHub repository management, collaboration workflows via issues and pull requests, GitHub Actions for automation, GitHub Copilot's AI-assisted development capabilities, GitHub Codespaces, and core security and administration concepts. As of January 2026, the exam objectives were significantly updated to reflect modern GitHub features including Copilot Agent Mode, multi-model support, Enterprise Managed Users (EMUs), and passkey authentication.
This certification is administered through Pearson VUE and is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, and Japanese. It is designed as a beginner-level credential spanning seven domains, making it accessible to developers and non-developers alike who regularly interact with GitHub in professional settings. GitHub Education also offers verified students the opportunity to take the exam at no cost.
The GitHub Foundations certification is designed for a broad range of GitHub users, including software developers, DevOps engineers, solution architects, app makers, and IT administrators who want a formal credential validating their GitHub proficiency. It is equally suitable for non-technical roles such as project managers, technical writers, and open-source contributors who collaborate on GitHub but may not write code daily.
This certification is particularly valuable for early-career professionals and students looking to establish credibility in collaborative development environments, as well as experienced professionals who use GitHub daily but have never formally validated their skills. Anyone preparing for more advanced GitHub certifications—such as GitHub Actions, GitHub Advanced Security, or GitHub Administration—should consider GH-900 as a natural starting point.
There are no formal prerequisites required to sit for the GitHub Foundations exam. However, candidates are expected to have hands-on familiarity with GitHub's core interface and basic Git operations before attempting the exam. Comfortable navigation of repositories, understanding of commits, branches, and pull requests, and exposure to GitHub's collaboration features (issues, discussions, notifications) will provide a meaningful foundation.
Microsoft Learn recommends completing the official 'GitHub Foundations Part 1' and 'GitHub Foundations Part 2' learning paths before sitting the exam. Candidates who have spent time working on real or practice GitHub repositories—creating branches, submitting pull requests, and reviewing code—will be best positioned to pass without additional study.
The GH-900 exam consists of questions delivered through Pearson VUE's online proctored testing platform and allows 100 minutes to complete. The exam may include a variety of interactive question types in addition to standard multiple-choice questions; candidates can preview the interface and question styles via the official Exam Sandbox at GHCertDemo.starttest.com before their scheduled attempt.
Scoring uses a scaled score model with a maximum of 1000 points, and a passing score of 700 is required. The exact number of scored questions is not publicly disclosed by GitHub. The exam is fully proctored and available for remote delivery. If a candidate fails on the first attempt, a 24-hour waiting period is required before retaking; subsequent retake intervals vary per policy. Candidates are strongly advised to register using a personal Microsoft Account (MSA) rather than a work or school Azure AD account to ensure exam records are retained.
The GitHub Foundations certification demonstrates verified proficiency with the world's most widely used code collaboration platform, strengthening a candidate's profile for roles such as software developer, DevOps engineer, technical project manager, solution architect, and IT administrator. Because GitHub is a near-universal tool in modern software development, this credential holds relevance across industries and company sizes. GitHub Education also allows verified students to sit the exam for free, making it an accessible early-career credential.
As an entry-level certification, GH-900 is best viewed as a career foundation rather than a standalone salary driver. It serves as a recognized stepping stone toward more advanced GitHub certifications—GitHub Actions, GitHub Advanced Security, and GitHub Administration—which carry greater weight for senior engineering and DevOps roles. For professionals transitioning into tech or those in non-coding roles who collaborate on GitHub, the certification provides concrete evidence of platform proficiency that differentiates candidates in competitive hiring processes.
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. The full bank has 409 questions, enough for 5 full-length practice exams.
Preview — answers shown1. RepositoryGovernance Corp wants to ensure that their repository structure supports good security practices while remaining discoverable and well-documented. They need to balance security with usability for their internal development teams. Which repository management practices should they implement? (Select two!)
Multiple correct answersExplanation
Effective repository governance combines discoverability with security. Descriptive repository names and comprehensive README files help teams find and understand projects while maintaining transparency. Branch protection rules and required reviews ensure code quality and security without hindering legitimate collaboration. These practices create a secure yet usable environment for development teams.
2. SearhSyntax Corp needs to create complex search queries to find specific combinations of issues and pull requests. They want to find open items that are assigned to them, labeled as bugs, and associated with a specific milestone. Which search syntax elements should they combine for this precise filtering?
Explanation
GitHub's search syntax allows combining multiple filters for precise results. The query 'is:open assignee:@me label:bug milestone:"Sprint 1"' combines state filtering (is:open), assignment filtering (assignee:@me), label filtering (label:bug), and milestone filtering to find exactly the items needed. This demonstrates the power of GitHub's flexible search syntax for complex queries.
3. InnovateTech startup wants to understand how to measure and improve their code review effectiveness. The development team lead needs to understand review metrics and optimization. What indicators suggest that code review practices are effective and contributing to code quality?
Explanation
Effective code reviews are completed within reasonable timeframes to maintain development velocity and successfully catch issues before they reach production, reducing bugs and improving overall code quality. Good reviews also facilitate knowledge sharing and help team members learn from each other. Reviews that are approved immediately without comments suggest superficial examination, reviews focused only on style miss important functionality and security concerns, and excluding junior developers from reviews prevents learning opportunities and diverse perspectives. Effective reviews balance thoroughness, timeliness, and inclusiveness while focusing on meaningful quality improvements.
4. PrivacyTech Corp has GitHub Enterprise Cloud and wants to implement Enterprise Managed Users (EMU) for enhanced security and centralized identity management. What primary benefit does EMU provide for their organization?
Explanation
Enterprise Managed Users allow organizations to control user identities using their identity provider, enabling central access management and increased security. EMU provides centralized identity management where the organization controls user accounts, authentication, and access through their existing identity infrastructure. This enhances security by ensuring all user access is managed through corporate identity systems rather than individual GitHub accounts.
5. DevelopmentEnvironment Corp wants to set up GitHub Copilot for their Python development workflow and needs to understand the setup requirements. They want to ensure their team has everything needed to start using Copilot effectively. Which components are required for a complete GitHub Copilot setup?
Explanation
A complete GitHub Copilot setup requires a GitHub account with an active Copilot subscription (Free, Pro, Business, or Enterprise) and installation of the GitHub Copilot extension in the supported IDE (VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Vim, etc.). Both components are necessary - the subscription provides access to the AI service, while the extension enables the interface within the development environment.
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