GH-900: Exam Tips & Strategy
Note
This page focuses on study strategy and test-taking approach. For tactical traps and decision rules, see the Exam Guide.
Study Strategy
Domain Priority (Effort → Reward)
| Priority | Domain | Weight | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Must master | D3: Collaboration Features | 30% | PRs, Issues, Discussions, merge strategies, CODEOWNERS |
| 🔴 Must master | D1: Introduction to Git & GitHub | 22% | Git states, commands, GitHub vs Git, repo visibility |
| 🟡 Know well | D4: Modern Development | 13% | github.dev vs Codespaces, Actions overview, Copilot basics |
| 🟡 Know well | D6: Security & Admin | 10% | Branch protection, 2FA, Dependabot, org permissions |
| 🟡 Know well | D7: GitHub Community | 10% | Licensing, open source, InnerSource, Sponsors, Education |
| 🟢 Review | D2: Repositories | 8% | README, CODEOWNERS, releases, template repos |
| 🟢 Review | D5: Project Management | 7% | Projects v2 views, classic vs new, milestones |
D1 + D3 = 52% — mastering just two domains passes more than half the exam.
Hands-on Practice
The best way to retain this material is to USE GitHub:
- GitHub Skills: Introduction to GitHub — PR workflow hands-on
- GitHub Skills: Review Pull Requests — code review practice
- GitHub Skills: Hello GitHub Actions — Actions basics
- Create your own repo with a CODEOWNERS file, branch protection rules, and a sample Actions workflow
- Open a PR, create an Issue, link them, close with
Fixes #— do the full workflow
Timeline Recommendation
| Time before exam | Focus |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks out | Work through all 7 domains; do GitHub Skills labs |
| 1 week out | Review exam guide + cheatsheet; do flashcards daily |
| Night before | Read cheatsheet once; listen to audio refresher |
| Day of | Skim keyword detection table; no cramming |
Time Management
120 minutes · ~75 questions = 1.6 min/question
| Phase | Time budget |
|---|---|
| First pass (all questions) | ~75 min |
| Review flagged questions | ~30 min |
| Final check | ~15 min |
Pacing Tips
- If you're spending more than 2 minutes on a question, flag it and move on
- Questions you're unsure about often become clearer after reading later questions
- Never leave a question blank — there is no penalty for guessing
Question-Handling Techniques
First Pass
- Answer every question you're confident in
- Flag questions where you're uncertain — don't spend more than 90 seconds
- Note questions that seem to contradict each other (they may hint at answers)
Elimination Strategy
Eliminate clearly wrong answers first:
- If a choice mentions a third-party tool when GitHub has a native equivalent → likely wrong
- If a choice says "use git command X" for a GitHub feature question → likely wrong
- If a choice mixes up two similar features (github.dev vs Codespaces) → identify the trap
Keyword Alerts
Watch for these qualifier words — they change the answer:
- "MOST appropriate" — look for the best fit, not just a correct one
- "FIRST step" — order matters; don't pick the right action at the wrong time
- "WITHOUT requiring" — find the least invasive solution
- "only org members" — Internal visibility / InnerSource
Last-Minute Review Checklist
- [ ] Review the Cheatsheet — especially the key file locations table
- [ ] Read through the Exam Guide traps section
- [ ] Run through flashcards in D1 and D3 (52% of exam)
- [ ] Confirm: github.dev (no terminal) vs Codespaces (full VM)
- [ ] Confirm: Issues (trackable) vs Discussions (open conversation)
- [ ] Confirm: Template repo (no history) vs Fork (full history)
- [ ] Confirm: No license = All rights reserved (not open source)
- [ ] Listen to the Audio Refresher on the way in
- [ ] Check exam center or online proctor technical requirements