GitHub Foundations

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Exam at a Glance

GH-900 measures whether you understand how people work together on GitHub: the Git concepts underneath it, the collaboration and project tools, the automation and AI features, and the security and administration basics. It is a foundations exam for developers and non-developers alike: the objectives ask you to describe, explain, identify, and recognize, not to build or script anything.

 

What the Exam Covers

The exam has seven domains. Git and GitHub basics carries the most weight, and the other six range from 5-10% to 10-15%, so breadth matters more than depth: plan to cover every domain rather than mastering one.

 

Understand Git and GitHub basics — 25-30%

The purpose and benefits of version control, Git versus GitHub, repositories, commits and branches, personal, organization and enterprise accounts, the GitHub flow, Markdown in issues and pull requests, and when to use GitHub Desktop and GitHub Mobile.

 

Work with GitHub repositories — 10-15%

Repository structure and key files (README, LICENSE, CONTRIBUTING, CODEOWNERS, SECURITY), templates and branches, adding and managing files, repository insights, stars, feature previews, dashboards and dependency insights, and repository maintenance best practices.

 

Collaborate using GitHub — 10-15%

Issues, pull requests and discussions, linking pull requests to issues, templates, filters and assignments, notifications and how to configure them, and when to use gists, wikis and GitHub Pages.

 

Apply modern development practices — 10-15%

The purpose and capabilities of GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot (agents, agent mode and multi-model support), the differences between Copilot plans for individuals and Copilot Business and Enterprise, GitHub Codespaces and dev containers, and the github.dev editor versus Codespaces.

 

Manage projects with GitHub — 5-10%

GitHub Projects and its layouts, configuring projects, labels, milestones and workflows, saved replies and assignees, and project insights for tracking progress.

 

Understand privacy, security, and administration — 10-15%

Two-factor authentication and passkeys, repository and organization roles and permissions, Enterprise Managed Users and organization-wide Copilot policies, repository visibility and branch protection rules, and organization settings, teams and roles.

 

Explore the GitHub community — 5-10%

Open source and GitHub Sponsors, how GitHub supports open-source projects, following users and organizations, GitHub Marketplace, InnerSource, and when to use forks, templates and discoverable repositories.

 

The full bullet-level list lives in the official study guide. Treat it as your checklist:

The Official GH-900 Study Guide

 

How This Maps to CertiAce Practice Modules

The CertiAce question bank is organized by the modules of the official GitHub Foundations learning path on Microsoft Learn, plus a module for GitHub Actions, so you can drill each area in isolation:

 

Where GH-900 Fits

GH-900 has no prerequisite certification, and the four intermediate GitHub certifications above do not list one either. GH-900 is the broad starting point: it touches every product area the specialist exams go deep on, so it is a natural first step if you are new to GitHub. If you already use one area daily, you can go straight to its specialist exam.

 

Before You Start

The exam is written for developers and non-developers, so you do not need to be a programmer. Check yourself against this table. Anything unfamiliar is where your preparation should start:

 

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Step-by-Step Study Plan

How long you need depends on where you start. Treat these estimates as planning guidance and adjust them to your starting knowledge and weekly study hours:

 

Step 1: Read the Official Study Guide

Skim the full skills-measured list once, and mark every bullet you could not explain to a colleague. That marked-up list is your personal syllabus: everything else in this plan exists to clear it. The January 2026 update reworded every objective and added new ones, so check older materials against the current list, especially for GitHub Copilot (agents, agent mode, multi-model support) and security (passkeys, Enterprise Managed Users).

The Official Study Guide

 

Step 2: Schedule Your Exam

Choose a realistic target date after reviewing the skills list and your available study time. A date on the calendar turns studying into a countdown, so pick one using the prep-time table above and plan backwards from it. You schedule through Pearson VUE and can take the exam online or at a test center.

If the exam is not available in your native language, check the English as a Second Language accommodation and arrange any approved extra time before booking.

Certification and Exam Details Page

Request Accommodations

 

Step 3: Work Through the Official Learning Path

Complete the GitHub Foundations learning path on Microsoft Learn (Part 1 and Part 2). It was created with GitHub, and the CertiAce practice modules follow the same structure. Take notes on concepts you cannot explain in simple terms, and try each feature on GitHub as you go. If you prefer a classroom, the instructor-led course GH-900T00 covers the same ground.

Official GitHub Foundations Learning Path

 

Step 4: Use a Supplementary Video Resource

GitHub's own GitHub for Beginners video series is the one the GitHub documentation recommends for getting to know GitHub. Use it as a second pass after the learning path, and rewatch the episodes on your weakest topics.

GitHub for Beginners (GitHub on YouTube)

 

Step 5: Get Hands-On Practice

GH-900 rewards people who have actually used GitHub: many questions describe a small situation and ask which feature, role, or setting fits it. A free personal account supports many of the core exercises. Aim for hands-on time with:

• Creating a repository, a branch, a pull request, and an issue, then linking them
• Reviewing and merging a pull request, and trying each merge method
• Writing Markdown in issues and comments, including task lists and mentions
• Setting up a GitHub Projects board and a GitHub Pages site
• Opening a codespace and VS Code for the Web on the same repository to see the difference
• Turning on two-factor authentication and exploring your account settings

Some objectives need an organization or enterprise plan, such as internal repositories, Enterprise Managed Users, and organization-wide Copilot policies. Learn those from the official documentation rather than expecting to try them on a personal account.

GitHub Skills offers free, interactive courses that run inside GitHub repositories with automated feedback, a good way to practice the workflow step by step.

GitHub Skills

 

Step 6: Benchmark Your Knowledge

Use CertiAce to benchmark your readiness module by module. The practice modules map to the exam domains as shown above, so use the module mapping and the topics behind your missed questions to identify the skills-measured areas to revisit. Microsoft also offers a free official practice assessment. Aim for consistent performance across every module, not one lucky high score.

CertiAce GH-900 Exam Practice

Free Official Practice Assessment

 

Step 7: Take the Exam

The day before, review only your weak topics: no brand-new material. On exam day, read each question for what it is truly asking: many GH-900 questions come down to matching the right GitHub feature, role, or setting to a short scenario, so eliminate the options from the wrong product area first.

Worth knowing before you sit down:

• This is a closed-book exam: Microsoft Learn access is not available on GitHub exams.
• You can take unscheduled breaks, but the clock keeps running and you cannot return to questions you already saw.
• Watch the naming: the exam outline still says the github.dev editor and Copilot for Individuals, while the GitHub documentation now says VS Code for the Web, Copilot cloud agent (formerly coding agent), and lists the individual Copilot plans by name. Learn both the outline wording and the current names.
• Try the GitHub exam sandbox beforehand so the interface holds no surprises: GitHub Exam Sandbox

 

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Additional Learning Resources