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GitHub Foundations Certification Exam Guide

Exam Overview

The GitHub Foundations certification validates your understanding of the foundational topics and concepts of collaborating, contributing, and working on GitHub. This is GitHub's entry-level certification designed for anyone who wants to demonstrate their knowledge of the GitHub platform, Git version control, and collaborative development workflows.

Exam Details

  • Exam Name: GitHub Foundations
  • Duration: 120 minutes
  • Format: Multiple choice questions
  • Number of Questions: 75 questions
  • Passing Score: 70%
  • Cost: $99 USD
  • Delivery: Online proctored
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Validity: 3 years
  • Retake Policy: 24-hour wait for first retake, 14 days for subsequent

Official Resources

Exam Domains

Domain 1: Introduction to Git and GitHub (22%)

This is the second-largest domain and focuses on the fundamentals of version control with Git and the basics of the GitHub platform.

Key Topics: - Git version control concepts (repositories, commits, branches) - Basic Git commands (clone, commit, push, pull, fetch, merge, rebase) - Difference between Git and GitHub - GitHub account types (Personal, Organization, Enterprise) - GitHub plans and pricing (Free, Pro, Team, Enterprise) - GitHub Desktop and GitHub Mobile - GitHub Markdown and formatting

What to Study: - Understand the entire Git workflow from initialization to pushing changes - Know the difference between local and remote repositories - Be comfortable with branching strategies and merge vs rebase - Understand GitHub as a platform built on top of Git

Domain 2: Working with GitHub Repositories (8%)

The smallest domain, but still important - focuses on repository management.

Key Topics: - Creating and managing repositories - Repository visibility (public, private, internal) - README files, license files, and .gitignore - Repository templates - Cloning vs forking repositories - Repository settings and features - GitHub Pages basics

What to Study: - Repository creation workflows and best practices - When to use templates vs forking - Understanding repository visibility and its implications - Basic GitHub Pages configuration

Domain 3: Collaboration Features (30%)

The largest domain - covers the collaborative aspects of GitHub that make it the world's leading development platform.

Key Topics: - Issues (creating, labeling, assigning, linking) - Pull requests (creating, reviewing, merging) - Code review process and suggestions - Discussions and comments - Notifications and subscriptions - Branch protection rules - CODEOWNERS file - Draft pull requests - Merge strategies (merge commit, squash, rebase)

What to Study: - The complete pull request lifecycle from creation to merge - How to conduct effective code reviews - Issue management and linking issues to pull requests - Understanding branch protection and its configurations - How notifications work and how to manage them

Domain 4: Modern Development (13%)

Covers GitHub Actions, Codespaces, and modern development practices.

Key Topics: - GitHub Actions basics (workflows, triggers, jobs, steps) - GitHub Codespaces overview - GitHub Copilot overview - CI/CD concepts - GitHub Marketplace

What to Study: - Basic workflow YAML syntax - Common triggers (push, pull_request, schedule) - What Codespaces is and when to use it - Basic understanding of Copilot capabilities - How to find and use Actions from the Marketplace

Domain 5: Project Management (7%)

Focuses on GitHub's project management features.

Key Topics: - GitHub Projects (classic and new) - Project boards and views - Custom fields and workflows - Milestones - Labels and organization

What to Study: - Differences between classic projects and new Projects - How to create and manage project views - Using milestones to track progress - Effective labeling strategies

Domain 6: Privacy, Security, and Administration (10%)

Covers security features, administrative settings, and privacy controls.

Key Topics: - Two-factor authentication (2FA) - SSH and GPG keys - Repository security advisories - Dependabot alerts - Secret scanning basics - Code scanning basics - Organization and enterprise management basics - Team management and permissions

What to Study: - How to enable and configure 2FA - Understanding SSH key authentication - Basic security feature awareness - Organization roles and permissions hierarchy

Domain 7: Benefits of the GitHub Community (10%)

Focuses on the open source community, InnerSource, and GitHub's community features.

Key Topics: - Open source licensing - Contributing to open source projects - InnerSource practices - GitHub Sponsors - GitHub Stars program - Community health files (CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md, CONTRIBUTING.md) - README best practices - GitHub Explore and trending

What to Study: - Common open source licenses and their differences - How to contribute to open source projects - InnerSource concepts and benefits - Community health indicators and files

Key Concepts to Master

Git Fundamentals

  1. Repository lifecycle - init, clone, add, commit, push, pull
  2. Branching - create, switch, merge, delete branches
  3. Merge conflicts - how they occur and how to resolve them
  4. Git history - log, diff, blame, bisect
  5. Remote operations - fetch vs pull, push, upstream tracking

GitHub Platform

  1. Collaboration - Issues, PRs, code review, discussions
  2. Automation - GitHub Actions basics
  3. Security - 2FA, SSH keys, Dependabot, security advisories
  4. Project management - Projects, milestones, labels
  5. Community - Open source, InnerSource, community health files

Common Exam Patterns

  • Questions often test the difference between similar concepts (fork vs clone, fetch vs pull)
  • Expect scenario-based questions about collaboration workflows
  • Security questions focus on awareness rather than deep configuration
  • Community questions test understanding of open source practices

Study Approach

  1. Week 1-2: Git fundamentals and GitHub basics (Domains 1-2)
  2. Week 3-4: Collaboration and modern development (Domains 3-4)
  3. Week 5: Project management and security (Domains 5-6)
  4. Week 6: Community features and review (Domain 7 + full review)

Hands-On Practice

  • Create a GitHub account if you don't have one
  • Complete GitHub Skills courses (Introduction to GitHub, Communicate using Markdown)
  • Create repositories, open issues, submit pull requests
  • Set up a basic GitHub Actions workflow
  • Explore open source projects and understand community files

Study Materials

Tips for Success

  • Focus heavily on Domain 3 (Collaboration Features) as it represents 30% of the exam
  • Don't neglect Domain 1 (Git and GitHub) at 22% - know your Git commands
  • Practice using GitHub daily - hands-on experience is invaluable
  • Read the official GitHub Docs for each topic area
  • Take practice tests and review incorrect answers thoroughly
  • Understand "why" behind features, not just "what" they do