The GitHub Actions (GH-200) certification is designed to validate a candidate’s expertise in implementing and managing GitHub Actions automation workflows. This certification is intended for professionals who want to demonstrate their ability to automate continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) processes and manage enterprise-level workflows using GitHub Actions. It is ideal for DevOps engineers, software developers, and automation professionals looking to enhance their GitHub skills and manage workflows at scale.

Overview of the GH-200 GitHub Actions Certification Exam

Duration: 100 minutes

Total Questions: 65 questions, approximately

Passing Score: 700/1000 (scaled score)

Languages Available:  English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, Japanese

GitHub Actions GH-200 Exam Domains

The GH-200 exam is divided into four domains, each measuring specific skills required to use GitHub Actions effectively.

As outlined in the table, Domain 1: Author and Maintain Workflows accounts for the most significant portion of the exam, at 40%. It underscores the importance of designing, structuring, and optimizing workflows effectively within GitHub Actions. While this domain is central to the exam, comprehensive success in the GH-200 certification requires proficiency across all domains. Domains such as Domain 2: Consume Workflows, Domain 3: Author and Maintain Actions, and Domain 4: Manage GitHub Actions for the Enterprise are equally critical. Focusing solely on one domain may create knowledge gaps, ultimately undermining overall readiness and the ability to apply best practices in real-world scenarios.

GH-900 Exam Topics List

This section outlines the primary areas that will be tested in the GH-200 exam. Understanding these topics will help you focus on the areas with the most weight in the exam.

1. Domain 1: Author and Maintain Workflows (40%)

   • Define and structure workflows in YAML using on, jobs, steps, and runs-on.

   • Work with vash, pull requests, and scheduled events to initiate workflows.

   • Securely manage secrets and environment variables within workflows.

   • Use service containers for integration testing or running services within workflows.

   • Set up job dependencies and configure matrix builds for parallel execution.

   • Troubleshoot and fix failed workflows by analyzing logs and output.

2. Domain 2: Consume Workflows (20%)

   • Understand how to access and interpret workflow run logs and status.

   • Be familiar with using the GitHub API to query workflow run data and retrieve logs.

   • Learn how to interpret workflow results, identify failing steps, and leverage artifacts.

3. Domain 3: Author and Maintain Actions (25%)

   • Learn to write JavaScript, Docker, and composite actions and define the action.yml metadata.

   • Understand how to version and pin actions for reuse across repositories.

   • Learn how to update and maintain actions as requirements or GitHub infrastructure evolve.

   • Understand how to create actions that can be reused across repositories.

4. Domain 4: Manage GitHub Actions for the Enterprise (15%)

   • Manage self-hosted runners at the organization and repository levels for workflows.

   • Implement security practices to manage workflows, secrets, and permissions across the enterprise.

   • Configure runner groups, monitor runner status, and manage concurrency.

   • Manage workflow execution across multiple repositories in an enterprise setting.

Study Materials and Resources

Before attempting the GitHub Actions (GH-200) certifications, it is highly recommended to review these study materials. These resources are specifically designed to help you grasp the intricate concepts and features addressed in the exam.

1. Microsoft Learn – This website offers a variety of learning paths for different Microsoft certifications. For the GH-200 certification exam, you can focus on the following topics:

   • GH-200 Overview

   • GH-200 official study guide

   • Learning paths and modules related to GH-200



2. GitHub Actions Documentation – Provides an overview of workflows, jobs, runners, actions, secrets, and environment variables. Focus on the documentation for:

   • The components and syntax of workflows (events, jobs, steps, workflows)

   • Use of hosted and self‑hosted runners (environment for jobs)

   • Creation and consumption of actions (how to build/maintain custom GitHub Actions)

   • Secrets and environment variables in workflows (secure context, permissions, environment protections)

   • Enterprise‑scale management of workflows, runners, actions (governance, reuse, policies)

3. GitHub Blog – To stay up‑to‑date on the latest GitHub Actions features and best practices, subscribe to their blog and specifically follow updates related to AI, prompts, and testing.

4. GitHub FAQs – The GitHub documentation (or GitHub Community discussions) includes sections that answer common questions about workflows, runners, billing/usage, and self‑hosted runner configuration.

5. GitHub Free Account – The GitHub portal offers free tiers and access to GitHub Actions minutes for experimentation. Use this to create workflows, deploy jobs, test runners, and gain hands‑on experience.

6.  Tutorials Dojo’s GitHub Cheat Sheet – With the help of our cheat sheets, you can easily understand the information found in the GitHub documentation. These are presented in bullet point format to highlight the essential concepts.

7. Tutorials Dojo’s GitHub Actions (GH-200)  Practice Exams – Coming Soon!

Key Concepts to Focus On

Your primary source of information when studying for the GH‑200 exam is the Microsoft Learn documentation and GitHub Actions feature documentation. To comprehend the different scenarios in the exam, you should have a thorough understanding of the following service/feature sets:

• GitHub Actions Workflows & Jobs – Understand the lifecycle of workflows, including events, triggers, jobs, and steps. Discover how jobs can run in sequence or parallel, and learn how to utilize matrix builds for cross-platform automation.

• GitHub Runners – Understand the differences between GitHub-hosted runners and self-hosted runners, and how to configure them for various environments and use cases. Focus on scaling and managing self-hosted runners in enterprise setups.

• GitHub Actions Secrets & Environment Variables – Learn how to securely manage secrets and environment variables, and how to inject them into workflows without exposing sensitive data. Understand best practices for encryption and access controls.

• Custom GitHub Actions – Study how to build custom GitHub Actions to automate tasks and integrate with third-party services. Learn how to publish actions, manage versioning, and reuse actions across workflows.

• CI/CD Pipeline Automation – Understand how to implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using GitHub Actions. Learn to create pipelines for building, testing, and deploying code in different environments.

• GitHub Actions for Testing – Learn how to use GitHub Actions for automating tests in your workflows, including unit tests, integration tests, and performance tests. Focus on integrating with popular testing frameworks and setting up workflows to run tests on every push.

• Security & Access Management in GitHub Actions – Understand how to manage access to workflows, runners, and secrets with proper security policies. Learn about role-based access control (RBAC) and permissions for managing enterprise-scale automation in GitHub.

Exam Prep Materials for the GitHub Actions GH-200

To perform better on the GH-200 GitHub Actions Certification exam, it is essential to engage with comprehensive, hands-on practice and study materials. Below are the key resources you should utilize for your preparation:

Free Hands-On Labs

• Free Git for Beginners with Hands-On Labs available in the Tutorials Dojo Portal

• Start with Introduction to GitHub Actions. Begin with the basics of GitHub Actions by exploring an introductory module that explains key concepts such as workflows, triggers, actions, and jobs. This module covers the core of how GitHub Actions operates, providing the foundation for more advanced topics.

Practice Assessment

• Taking a Practice Assessment is one of the best ways to gauge your readiness for the exam. This simulation mirrors the GH-200 exam and helps you assess your understanding across the exam’s domains. The practice assessment covers a wide range of topics, ensuring you’re well-prepared for the real exam.

To learn more about the GH-200 exam, you can visit the official GitHub Learn page for the GitHub Actions (GH-200) certification. This page provides the most up-to-date information, including the link to schedule your GH-200 exam and access the official Exam Guide.

Final Remarks

Success in the GH‑200 exam requires both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Focus study efforts on the official Microsoft Learn materials and GitHub Actions documentation, engage hands‑on by building and managing GitHub Actions workflows and custom actions, and practice interpreting real‑world enterprise scenarios. With this structured study path, you will be well‑equipped for success. Good luck with your preparation!