GitHub Certifications Owned by Microsoft: A Major Update

GitHub, the largest software development community platform in the world, has long been a crucial tool for developers, engineers, and IT professionals across the globe. Microsoft, the tech giant renowned for its vast collection of software and cloud solutions, recently formally acquired GitHub. This acquisition brought some significant reforms, including a dramatic revamp of GitHub’s certification program. In this blog, we will talk about details of this change, outline what GitHub certifications are, and highlight new trends in certification exams since Microsoft’s acquisition.

Microsoft Acquires GitHub: What Does It Mean for Developers?

Microsoft Acquire GitHub in 2018, a platform that hosts millions of repositories and supports millions of developers all over the world. The action was strategic because it amplified Microsoft’s grip in the open-source community and cloud development space. Microsoft has continued to integrate GitHub tools with its own technologies like Azure and Visual Studio since then.

One of the biggest areas is that of GitHub Certifications. They have been made to authenticate the proficiency of developers on the various tools and services provided by GitHub. This will follow a designed and standardized approach within Microsoft’s larger certification program after the acquisition.

Overview of the GitHub Certifications Before Microsoft’s Acquisition

Before Microsoft acquisition, GitHub certifications revolved around a few essential tools vital to software development and security in the modern world. Such tests were hands-on and evaluated knowledge and skills of GitHub’s features and helped professionals validate their skills.  Some Key GitHub Certifications Previously Included:

GitHub Actions:

This exam evaluated knowledge regarding automating workflows, continuous integration, and continuous delivery using GitHub Actions.

GitHub Copilot:

Focusing on GitHub’s AI code assistant, this test assessed the ability of developers to use Copilot to enhance coding efficiency.

GitHub Advanced Security:

This was designed to evaluate skills from the standpoint of securing codebases, vulnerability management, and making effective use of GitHub’s security tools.

GitHub Foundations:

A general certification that examined the core skills required to work with GitHub for version control, collaboration, and repository management.

Each of these certifications possessed a distinct range of questions on the exams that addressed real-world scenarios, coding challenges, and knowledge of GitHub’s features.

How GitHub Certification Exams Worked Previously?

The GitHub Certification Exams were made available to professionals globally on an online platform. The applicants could register on the official GitHub exam portal website. These tests typically included multiple-choice questions, hands-on exercises, and scenario questions. The questions were framed in such a way to test both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise in effectively using GitHub’s tools.

Applicants would learn from official reports, guides, and practical experience. Passing these exams provided people with a certification that they could include on professional profiles, enhancing employability and legitimacy in the IT field.

Major Changes After Microsoft Takeover: New Exam Codes and Format

With Microsoft’s official acquisition of GitHub’s certification scheme, there has been a wholesale change. Microsoft has incorporated these certifications into its global certification brand, merging them into Microsoft’s highly recognizable and respected exam numbering system.

Microsoft New GitHub Certification Exam Codes:

• GH-200: Corresponds to foundational knowledge and GitHub’s basic features, similar to the previous GitHub Actions exam.
• GH-300: Is focused on intermediate skills, specifically covering automation through GitHub Copilot and workflow optimization.
• GH-500: This is for advanced users, primarily concentrating on GitHub Advanced Security and advanced security procedures in GitHub repositories.
• GH-900: The most senior-level certificate, this test is founded on leading-edge technologies like GitHub Foundations and AI for developers.

These new test codes reflect a more formalized, tiered structure of certification so that professionals can transition from foundational to expert levels.

What Are GitHub Certifications Today Under Microsoft?

Today, GitHub Certifications are more comprehensive and integrated. Microsoft ensures that these certifications are updated with the fast-changing software development and DevOps trends. Each certification not only tests the basic skills but also incorporates newer trends such as AI-based coding and advanced security measures.

With a Microsoft-supported GitHub Certification, professionals are assured that their abilities are on par. The certification is a life-saver for software developers, DevOps engineers, and security analysts who wish to showcase their GitHub ability.

Detailed Explanation of Microsoft’s GitHub Certification Exams

If you are planning to take Microsoft GitHub certification exams it is best to prepare using GitHub certification exam questions. Here are some more details about the exams:

GH-200: GitHub Actions Certification

GH-200 GitHub Actions Certification Exam is for beginners and covers the fundamentals of working with GitHub. Candidates are tested on:

• Repository creation and management
• Version control basics with Git and GitHub
• Collaboration practices, including issues and pull requests
• Basic branching and merging practices
• Using GitHub workflows

GH-300: GitHub Copilot Certification

GH-300 GitHub Copilot Certification Exam aimed at professionals with intermediate levels of experience, this certification focuses on:

• Building and sustaining automated workflows with GitHub Actions
• CI/CD pipelines
• Continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines
• Automating deployment and software testing with GitHub Actions
• Learning YAML syntax to set up workflows
• Troubleshooting and optimizing automation workflows

GH-500: GitHub Advanced Security Certification

GH-500 GitHub Advanced Security Certification Exam focuses on advanced security topics, including:

• Implementing and enforcing GitHub security policies
• Using Dependabot for patching and vulnerability scanning
• Managing secret scanning and security alerts
• Enabling security tools within the GitHub platform
• Compliance and audit readiness using GitHub

GH-900: GitHub Foundations Certification

GH-900 GitHub Foundations Certification Exam is founded on the future usage of AI in software development:

• Using GitHub Copilot to write and review code efficiently
• Familiarizing oneself with AI-supported code suggestions and recommendations
• Adding Copilot to IDEs and workflows
• Ethical consequences and AI code generation security concerns
• Advanced uses for AI in software development lifecycles

Registration for GitHub Certifications: Sign Up Now?

Microsoft has simplified the process of registering for GitHub certifications through the official exam registration platform at examregistration.github.com. One can register, select exams based on skill level, and schedule online proctored exams.

Study material in the form of Microsoft official documentation, Microsoft Learn learning paths, and GitHub tutorials is easily available. The tests themselves are available worldwide and provide instant feedback once attempted.

Importance of GitHub Certifications in the Modern Tech Landscape

The demand for skilled developers capable of controlling GitHub has grown exponentially with DevOps, CI/CD, and cloud-native technologies dominating software development trends. Being a certified GitHub Certification holder provides many benefits:

• Verifies skills to employers and recruiters across the globe.
• Boosts chances of getting jobs that entail GitHub-centered development processes.
• Reinforces automation and security processes vital in today’s software delivery.
• Provides a job market advantage where Microsoft technologies and GitHub integration are common.

Since Microsoft supports GitHub certifications, they now carry more value, aligning with Microsoft Certified Professional standards.

Sample GitHub Certification Exam Questions to Expect

Using GitHub Certification Questions is the best way to prepare and learn the format of the questions. Fortunately, they will be available at CertsHouse. It is one of the best and most reliable platforms to get these questions. Though official questions to the exams are not released, the following are sample question types that candidates might be confronted with:

Scenario questions:

Given a repository with some issues, how would you employ a GitHub Action to automatically test on pull requests?

Multiple-choice:

Which GitHub feature allows automatic discovery and fixing of vulnerabilities?

Practical exercises:

Write a YAML workflow file to deploy an application upon successful merge to the main branch.

Conceptual questions:

Explain how GitHub Copilot might be applied to code review and what security risks are possible.

Future of GitHub Certifications under Microsoft

In the future, Microsoft will expand the GitHub certification portfolio with new fields such as:

• GitHub integration with Microsoft Teams and Azure DevOps.
• Machine learning workflows at a high level based on GitHub data.
• Cloud-native Kubernetes deployment pipelines worked via GitHub.
• Security guidelines for cooperation with shifting compliance demands.

The partnership ensures that GitHub qualifications will stay up to date with technological trends so that they are a must-have qualification for IT experts all over the world.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s purchase of GitHub signaled a new era for GitHub Certifications. The new exam codes GH-100, GH-200, GH-300, GH-500, and GH-900 reflect a more efficient and advanced certification process. These certifications now carry the Microsoft stamp of excellence, thus bestowing enormous value on professionals’ careers.

Whether you’re just starting out with GitHub or wanting to become a master of its advanced security and AI-powered features, Microsoft’s updated certification program offers clear, guaranteed learning streams. Get a head start in the tech sector by becoming a GitHub-certified professional today, showcasing your skills on one of the most capable platforms employed for software development.