Certification Overview

GH-500 – GitHub Advanced Security Certification Exam

This exam validates your ability to configure and manage GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) features to secure repositories, identify vulnerabilities, and implement security best practices in development pipelines.

  📌 Important: There are no mandatory prerequisite exams required before taking the GitHub Advanced Security certification exam. However, GitHub recommends that candidates have practical experience with GitHub and software security concepts before attempting the exam.

What GitHub Advanced Security Certification Validates

With the GitHub Advanced Security certification, you demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify and remediate vulnerabilities in source code
• Configure and manage secret scanning to detect exposed credentials
• Implement dependency management and vulnerability detection
• Configure and manage code scanning using CodeQL
• Integrate security checks into CI/CD workflows
• Implement DevSecOps practices using GitHub security tools
• Monitor and respond to security alerts and vulnerabilities

These skills help organizations maintain a secure software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Track Details & Exam Requirements

🔹 Core Exam (Required)

GH-500 – GitHub Advanced Security Certification Exam

This exam focuses on configuring and managing security tools within GitHub to protect code and dependencies.

Exam Details

• Exam Code: GH-500
• Exam Duration: ~100 minutes
• Number of Questions: ~65 questions
• Exam Type: Multiple-choice and scenario-based questions
• Passing Score: Approximately 700 / 1000 (scaled score)
• Delivery: Online proctored exam
• Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, Japanese

Exam Domains

The GH-500 exam is divided into several key domains.

1. Describe GitHub Advanced Security Features (≈15%)

Candidates must understand:

• The role of GitHub Advanced Security in the SDLC
• Core GHAS features and their security benefits
• Security workflows within GitHub environments

2. Configure and Use Secret Scanning (≈15%)

Candidates should be able to:

• Detect exposed credentials in repositories
• Configure secret scanning policies
• Manage alerts and remediation processes

3. Configure Dependency Security Tools (≈35%)

This domain focuses on:

• Configuring Dependabot alerts
• Managing dependency vulnerabilities
• Implementing dependency review workflows
• Monitoring software supply chain risks

4. Configure Code Scanning with CodeQL (≈25%)

Candidates must understand how to:

• Enable code scanning for repositories
• Configure CodeQL analysis
• Interpret security alerts from code scans
• Integrate code scanning into CI/CD pipelines

5. Implement Security Best Practices (≈10%)

This domain focuses on:

• Managing vulnerability alerts
• Implementing security remediation workflows
• Applying DevSecOps security practices across development pipelines

Validity & Recertification

• GitHub certifications are typically valid for approximately 2 years.
• After passing the exam, candidates receive a digital certification badge issued through credential platforms such as Credly.
• Renewal may require retaking the exam or completing updated certification requirements when new versions are released.

Recommended Experience

There are no formal prerequisites required for the GitHub Advanced Security certification. However, GitHub recommends candidates have:

• Hands-on experience with GitHub repositories and workflows
• Understanding of GitHub security features
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and automation
• Familiarity with vulnerability management and DevSecOps practices
• Basic understanding of software security principles

This certification is generally considered intermediate to advanced level.

Who Should Pursue GitHub Advanced Security Certification?

This certification is ideal for professionals such as:

• Security Engineers
• DevSecOps Engineers
• DevOps Engineers
• Software Developers responsible for security
• Platform Engineers
• Security Analysts working with development pipelines

Career Benefits

• Demonstrates expertise in securing GitHub development environments
• Validates DevSecOps and software supply chain security skills
• Improves career opportunities in security engineering and DevOps
• Helps organizations implement secure development practices
• Recognized credential in the GitHub and Microsoft ecosystem

Summary

The Microsoft GitHub Advanced Security Certification (GH-500) validates a candidate’s ability to secure software development workflows using GitHub Advanced Security tools. Key points:

• Requires one exam (GH-500)
• No prerequisite certification required
• Focuses on DevSecOps, vulnerability management, and repository security

This certification is suitable for professionals responsible for securing development pipelines and protecting software supply chains within GitHub environments.