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Exam Review

Key Facts: GitHub Actions Exam

100 min

Exam Time

Microsoft Learn

700/1000

Passing Score

Microsoft Learn

30-40 hrs

Study Time

Recommended

100M+

GitHub Users

GitHub 2024

$99

Exam Fee

GitHub

2 years

Certification Validity

GitHub

The GitHub Actions Certification (GH-200) exam has 60 scored questions plus about 10-15 unscored pretest items in 100 minutes, with a 700/1,000 scaled passing score and a two-year validity. The largest domains are Author and Manage Workflows (20-25%) and Manage GitHub Actions for the Enterprise (20-25%). The exam was updated in January 2026 with a new Secure and Optimize Automation domain. It costs $99 and is delivered through Pearson VUE. GitHub certifications have no expiration but recommend annual renewal assessments.

Sample GitHub Actions Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the GitHub Actions exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A developer wants a workflow to run every weekday at 8:00 AM UTC. Which cron expression in the schedule trigger achieves this?

A.cron: '0 8 * * 1-5'

B.cron: '8 0 * * 1-5'

C.cron: '0 8 * * 0-4'

D.cron: '* 8 * * MON-FRI'

Explanation: The cron syntax is minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. '0 8 * * 1-5' means at minute 0, hour 8, every day of month, every month, Monday through Friday (1=Monday, 5=Friday in POSIX cron). Option B reverses minute and hour. Option C uses 0-4, which is Sunday-Thursday. Option D would run every minute during the 8 AM hour. Exam tip: GitHub Actions uses POSIX cron where 0=Sunday.

2Which keyword in a workflow file is used to define a dependency between two jobs so that one job runs only after another completes successfully?

A.depends_on

B.needs

C.requires

D.after

Explanation: The 'needs' keyword is used to define job dependencies in GitHub Actions. When you specify 'needs: build' on a job, that job will only run after the 'build' job completes successfully. Multiple dependencies can be specified as an array. The other options are not valid GitHub Actions workflow keywords for job dependencies. Exam tip: Without 'needs', all jobs run in parallel by default.

3A workflow step uses `${{ secrets.API_KEY }}` but the value is empty at runtime. The secret is correctly set in the repository settings. What is the most likely cause?

A.Secrets are not available in workflows triggered by pull_request events from forks

B.The secret name must be lowercase in the expression

C.Secrets can only be accessed in the first step of a job

D.The workflow must explicitly import secrets using an 'import' keyword

Explanation: For security reasons, GitHub Actions does not pass repository secrets to workflows triggered by pull_request events from forked repositories. This prevents malicious forks from exfiltrating secret values. Secrets are case-insensitive, can be accessed in any step, and are automatically available without an import keyword. Exam tip: Use pull_request_target (with caution) if you need secrets in fork-triggered workflows.

4Which file must be present at the root of a repository to define a custom GitHub Action?

A.workflow.yml

B.action.yml

C.github-action.json

D..github/action.yml

Explanation: A custom GitHub Action requires an action.yml (or action.yaml) metadata file at the root of the action repository. This file defines the action's inputs, outputs, and execution configuration. The file must be at the repository root, not in the .github directory. Workflow files go in .github/workflows/, but action definitions are separate from workflow definitions. Exam tip: action.yml defines an action; workflow files in .github/workflows/ consume actions.

5A team wants to share a set of workflow steps across multiple repositories. Which approach is recommended?

A.Copy the workflow YAML to each repository

B.Use a reusable workflow with the workflow_call trigger

C.Store steps in a GitHub Gist and reference them

D.Use repository templates to duplicate the workflow

Explanation: Reusable workflows allow you to define a workflow in one repository and call it from other workflows using the workflow_call trigger event. This promotes DRY principles and centralized maintenance. The calling workflow uses the 'uses' keyword at the job level to reference the reusable workflow. Copying YAML creates maintenance burden, Gists cannot be directly referenced in workflows, and templates only help at repo creation time. Exam tip: Reusable workflows are called at the job level, not the step level.

6What is the correct syntax to reference an output from a previous step named 'build' within the same job?

A.${{ steps.build.output.result }}

B.${{ steps.build.outputs.result }}

C.${{ jobs.build.outputs.result }}

D.${{ needs.build.outputs.result }}

Explanation: Within the same job, step outputs are referenced using the syntax ${{ steps.<step_id>.outputs.<output_name> }}. Note the plural 'outputs' — this is a common exam trap. Option C and D reference job-level outputs, which are used for inter-job communication, not intra-job step references. Option A uses singular 'output', which is incorrect. Exam tip: Always use 'outputs' (plural) whether referencing step or job outputs.

7An organization wants to restrict which actions can be used in their repositories. Where is this configured?

A.In each repository's .github/settings.yml file

B.In the organization's Actions settings under Policies

C.In the enterprise CODEOWNERS file

D.In the repository's branch protection rules

Explanation: GitHub provides organization-level Actions policies that allow administrators to control which actions are permitted. Options include allowing all actions, allowing only local actions, or specifying an allow list of approved actions and reusable workflows. This is configured in the organization Settings > Actions > General page. Branch protection rules control merging, not action usage. Exam tip: Enterprise and org admins can restrict actions at multiple levels, with the most restrictive policy winning.

8Which of the following is a valid way to pass an environment variable to all steps in a job?

A.Set it under the 'env' key at the workflow level

B.Set it under the 'env' key at the job level

C.Both A and B are valid approaches

D.Environment variables can only be set at the step level

Explanation: Environment variables in GitHub Actions can be defined at three levels: workflow, job, or step. Variables set at the workflow level are available to all jobs and steps. Variables set at the job level are available to all steps in that job. Variables set at the step level are available only to that step. More specific definitions override broader ones. Exam tip: Environment variable precedence is step > job > workflow.

9A workflow uses a matrix strategy to test against Node.js versions 16, 18, and 20 on both ubuntu-latest and windows-latest. How many job instances will be created?

A.3

B.5

C.6

D.2

Explanation: A matrix strategy creates a job for every combination of the matrix variables. With 3 Node.js versions and 2 operating systems, the total is 3 x 2 = 6 job instances. Each instance runs with a unique combination, such as Node 16 on ubuntu-latest, Node 16 on windows-latest, etc. Exam tip: You can use 'include' to add specific combinations or 'exclude' to remove unwanted ones from the matrix.

10Which GitHub Actions runner type should be used when a workflow requires a GPU for machine learning model testing?

A.ubuntu-latest hosted runner

B.A larger GitHub-hosted runner with GPU

C.A self-hosted runner with GPU hardware

D.macos-latest hosted runner

Explanation: GitHub-hosted runners, including larger runners, do not provide GPU hardware. When a workflow requires specialized hardware like GPUs, you must configure a self-hosted runner on a machine that has the required hardware. Self-hosted runners give you full control over the hardware, operating system, and installed software. Exam tip: Self-hosted runners are the solution for specialized hardware needs, custom software requirements, or on-premises network access.

About the GitHub Actions Exam

The GitHub Actions Certification validates expertise in automating software development workflows with GitHub Actions. Covering CI/CD pipeline creation, custom action development, enterprise governance, and security best practices, this intermediate-level certification is designed for DevOps engineers, software developers, and IT professionals who build and manage automation at scale.

Exam sponsor: GitHub / Microsoft (Pearson VUE). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Variable-length assessment

Time Limit

100 minutes (120-minute seat time)

Passing Score

700/1000 scaled (not a fixed percentage)

Exam / Certification Fees

$99

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published by GitHub. GitHub does not publish official pass rates Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

20-25%

Author and Manage Workflows

Triggers, events, jobs, steps, conditional logic, matrix strategies, environment variables

15-20%

Consume and Troubleshoot Workflows

Reusable workflows, workflow_call, troubleshooting failures, workflow logs, status functions

15-20%

Author and Maintain Actions

JavaScript, Docker, and composite actions, action metadata, versioning, Marketplace publishing

20-25%

Manage GitHub Actions for the Enterprise

Organization policies, runner groups, required workflows, usage monitoring, environments

10-15%

Secure and Optimize Automation

Secrets, OIDC, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, supply chain security, caching, artifacts

Preparing for the GitHub Actions Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 700/1000 scaled (not a fixed percentage)
Assessment: Variable-length assessment
Time limit: 100 minutes (120-minute seat time)
Exam / certification fees: $99 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

GitHub Actions: Suggested Study Strategy

1Focus on Author/Manage Workflows (20-25%) and Enterprise Management (20-25%) — together they make up 40-50% of the exam

2Build real workflows with matrix strategies, reusable workflows, and custom actions — the exam tests practical application

3Master OIDC authentication for cloud deployments — understand how it eliminates long-lived credentials

4Know the difference between step-level, job-level, and workflow-level settings (env, permissions, defaults)

5Practice with the GitHub Actions documentation and Microsoft Learn modules — many questions test knowledge of specific features

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the GitHub Actions certification pass rate?

GitHub does not publish official pass rates. The exam requires a scaled score of 700 out of 1,000, which is not a fixed percentage of correct answers. With 60 scored questions plus about 10-15 pretest items in 100 minutes, you have roughly 80 seconds per question. Candidates with hands-on workflow experience tend to perform significantly better.

How many questions are on the GitHub Actions certification exam?

The GH-200 exam has 60 scored questions plus about 10-15 unscored pretest items (roughly 70-75 total). You have 100 minutes of exam time inside a 120-minute seat. Questions are multiple-choice and multiple-select. The unscored questions are mixed in and cannot be identified, so treat every question as if it counts.

What topics does the GitHub Actions exam cover?

The GH-200 covers five domains (updated January 2026): Author and Manage Workflows (20-25%) covering triggers, jobs, and expressions; Consume and Troubleshoot Workflows (15-20%) covering reusable workflows and debugging; Author and Maintain Actions (15-20%) covering custom action development; Manage GitHub Actions for the Enterprise (20-25%) covering policies and governance; and Secure and Optimize Automation (10-15%) covering secrets, OIDC, and caching.

How long should I study for the GitHub Actions certification?

Most candidates study for 2-6 weeks. If you actively use GitHub Actions in production, 2-3 weeks of focused review may suffice. If you're newer to Actions, plan for 4-6 weeks. Focus on: 1) Building real workflows with matrix strategies, reusable workflows, and custom actions, 2) Understanding OIDC and security best practices, 3) Enterprise features like runner groups and organization policies. Hands-on practice is essential — reading docs alone is insufficient.

Is the GitHub Actions certification worth it?

Yes — it's one of the most practical DevOps certifications available. Benefits include: 1) Validates in-demand CI/CD skills used across millions of repositories, 2) Affordable at $99 compared to most tech certifications, 3) Recognized by Microsoft and increasingly by employers, 4) Two-year validity with a six-month renewal window and a free retest voucher, 5) Directly applicable to daily DevOps work. GitHub Actions is the most popular CI/CD platform on GitHub, making this certification highly relevant.

What tools and concepts should I know for the exam?

Key areas to master: YAML workflow syntax (triggers, jobs, steps, expressions), Reusable workflows (workflow_call, inputs, secrets), Custom actions (JavaScript, Docker, composite), Runners (GitHub-hosted, self-hosted, larger runners), Security (secrets, OIDC, GITHUB_TOKEN permissions, supply chain), Optimization (caching, artifacts, concurrency), Enterprise (organization policies, runner groups, required workflows), and GitHub Packages (npm, Docker, container registry).

Can I take the GitHub Actions exam remotely?

Yes. The exam is delivered through Pearson VUE and can be taken at a testing center or via online proctoring from home. For online proctoring, you need a quiet private room, a webcam, a microphone, and a stable internet connection. You'll complete an ID verification and room scan before the exam starts. Many candidates prefer online proctoring for convenience.