GitHub Certification

GitHub Advanced Security (GH-500) Practice Test

Prepare for the GitHub Advanced Security exam with free practice tests covering GitHub Security suites, secret scanning, dependency management, code scanning, CodeQL, security operations best practices, and enterprise security administration. Each 20-question test uses a proportional timer based on the official 100-minute GH-500 exam duration and the commonly reported 65-question exam pace.

12Practice Tests
240Total Questions
7Objectives Covered
100%Free Forever

Mixed Set — GitHub Advanced Security Practice Tests

Use these mixed GH-500 practice tests to review the full GitHub Advanced Security blueprint. Questions cover secret protection, supply chain security, code security, CodeQL, alert triage, remediation workflows, security campaigns, governance, and enterprise-scale security administration.

Domain Wise — GitHub Advanced Security Mock Tests

Target one GitHub Advanced Security skill area at a time with focused GH-500 mock tests. Each domain-wise test contains 20 questions mapped to key GitHub Security capabilities used by developers, DevSecOps engineers, security teams, and enterprise administrators.

D1
Describe the GitHub Advanced Security Security Features and Functionality
GitHub Security suite structure, Code Security, Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, Security Overview, secure SDLC concepts, alert responsibilities, and feature availability
15–20% Exam Range Start Test →
D2
Configure and Use Secret Scanning
Secret Protection enablement, push protection, validity checks, alert lifecycle, custom patterns, exclusions, delegated bypass policies, and secret remediation workflows
15–20% Exam Range Start Test →
D3
Configure and Use Dependency Management
Supply chain security, dependency graph, SBOM exports, Dependabot alerts, dependency review, security updates, EPSS scoring, advisory data, and remediation pull requests
15–20% Exam Range Start Test →
D4
Configure and Use Code Scanning
Code Security setup, GitHub Actions workflows, external CI integration, SARIF ingestion, scan frequency, matrix builds, alert review, severity, categories, and scan troubleshooting
10–15% Exam Range Start Test →
D5
Use Code Scanning with CodeQL
CodeQL analysis, query suites, workflow configuration, dataflow insights, autofix awareness, custom queries, language-specific analysis, and code scanning optimization
Part of 10–15% Code Security Start Test →
D6
Describe GitHub Advanced Security Best Practices
Security operations, alert prioritization, remediation frameworks, security campaigns, bulk alert management, governance, alert ownership, and shift-left prevention practices
15–20% Exam Range Start Test →
D7
Configure GitHub Advanced Security Tools in GitHub Enterprise
Enterprise rollout, organization and repository defaults, security policies, rulesets, inheritance, bypass permissions, security roles, CodeQL defaults, APIs, and automation
10–15% Exam Range Start Test →

About the GitHub Advanced Security Exam

The GitHub Advanced Security certification validates the ability to secure code, secrets, dependencies, and software development workflows using GitHub’s native security capabilities.

What Is the GH-500?

GitHub Advanced Security (GH-500) is an intermediate certification for professionals who use GitHub Advanced Security to secure code, secrets, and dependencies across the software development lifecycle. It validates knowledge of GitHub Security suites, Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, Code Security, CodeQL, alert handling, remediation practices, and enterprise-scale security administration.

The exam is designed for experienced developers, DevSecOps engineers, security engineers, security administrators, solution architects, and platform teams who configure GitHub Advanced Security features, triage alerts, reduce vulnerability exposure, protect secrets, manage dependency risk, and apply secure SDLC practices across repositories and organizations.

GitHub Advanced Security skills support roles such as DevSecOps engineer, application security engineer, secure software developer, security operations engineer, platform security engineer, cloud security engineer, security administrator, and software supply chain security specialist. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $124,910 for information security analysts in May 2024, with higher compensation possible for experienced security engineering and application security roles.

Exam Format (2026)

Exam name: GitHub Advanced Security.

Exam code: GH-500.

Level: Intermediate.

Testing method: Proctored assessment scheduled through Pearson VUE.

Duration: 100 minutes.

Questions: Microsoft Learn does not publish a fixed public question count on the exam page. Many current preparation sources estimate about 65 questions, so these practice tests use a proportional 31-minute timer for 20 questions.

Question types: Multiple-choice, multiple-response, scenario-based items, and possible interactive components.

Passing score: The official public exam page does not list a passing score. Confirm the active score requirement during exam registration.

Exam fee: GitHub certification exams are listed at $99 USD, with regional pricing possible depending on where the exam is proctored.

Eligibility Requirements

Formal prerequisite: No mandatory prerequisite certification is listed on the public GitHub Advanced Security exam page.

Recommended experience: Candidates should have experience using GitHub Advanced Security to secure code, secrets, and dependencies across the software development lifecycle.

Platform knowledge: Candidates should understand GitHub repositories, pull requests, GitHub Actions, CI/CD concepts, alert workflows, code scanning, secret protection, dependency security, and secure development principles.

Enterprise knowledge: Experience with organization and enterprise settings, role-based access, rulesets, policy inheritance, security managers, bypass permissions, and large-scale rollout is helpful.

Preparation resources: Review the official GH-500 study guide, GitHub documentation, Microsoft Learn modules, hands-on GitHub Advanced Security labs, and practice questions before scheduling the exam.

GH-500 Domain Weights — Current Exam Skills

The current GitHub Advanced Security exam outline uses six official skill areas. The practice page includes seven domain-wise tests because Code Security and CodeQL are separated for deeper focused study.

DomainOfficial Skill AreaWeight
Domain 1Describe GitHub Security Suites, Features, and Ecosystem15–20%
Domain 2Configure and Use Secret Protection15–20%
Domain 3Configure and Use Supply Chain Security15–20%
Domain 4Configure and Use Code Security10–15%
Domain 5Security Operations: Best Practices, Prioritization, and Remediation15–20%
Domain 6GitHub Security Suites Administration10–15%

How Our Practice Tests Are Designed

Official blueprint alignment — The mixed and domain-wise tests follow the current GH-500 skill areas: GitHub Security suites, Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, Code Security, Security Operations, and GitHub Security Suites Administration.

Practical DevSecOps scenarios — Questions focus on real decisions made by developers, security engineers, and administrators, including enabling features, interpreting alerts, choosing remediation actions, configuring policies, reviewing dependency risk, and scaling security controls.

Proportional timer — The official exam duration is 100 minutes. Because the public page does not publish a fixed question count, these 20-question practice tests use about 31 minutes, based on the commonly reported 65-question exam pace.

Focused remediation — Use mixed tests to measure overall readiness, then use domain-wise tests to strengthen weak areas. For example, repeated misses in Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, CodeQL, or enterprise administration should guide your next study block.

GH-500 Exam Preparation Tips

Study Strategy

Start with the current study guide: GitHub renamed several areas in the newer blueprint, including Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, and Code Security. Study the current names and understand how they map to older terms like secret scanning, Dependabot, dependency review, and code scanning.

Practice feature configuration: Know how to enable and configure GHAS features at repository, organization, and enterprise levels, including defaults, inheritance, role permissions, and policy boundaries.

Connect alerts to remediation: Study the full alert lifecycle for secrets, dependencies, and code scanning findings. Understand when to fix, dismiss, ignore, escalate, create campaigns, or apply exceptions.

Review enterprise governance: GH-500 is not only about individual repositories. Prepare for questions on security managers, delegated bypass, rulesets, APIs, automation, organization policies, and rollout strategy.

Test-Taking Strategy

Read for the security suite: Identify whether the scenario belongs to Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, Code Security, Security Operations, or enterprise administration before selecting an answer.

Choose prevention-first answers: Prefer options that prevent exposure early, preserve developer workflow, enforce policy appropriately, and give security teams enough visibility to manage risk at scale.

Manage the timer: The official exam is 100 minutes. These practice tests give about 31 minutes for 20 questions so you can build a steady pace without rushing scenario details.

Avoid over-broad bypasses: Eliminate answers that disable protections globally, bypass security without evidence, dismiss alerts without documentation, or weaken governance controls unnecessarily.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the GitHub Advanced Security GH-500 exam?+
The official GitHub Advanced Security exam page lists 100 minutes to complete the assessment. These practice tests use about 31 minutes for 20 questions to build a realistic timed practice rhythm.
How many questions are on the real GH-500 exam?+
The official public exam page does not publish a fixed question count. Many current preparation sources estimate about 65 questions, but candidates should verify the active exam details during Pearson VUE scheduling.
What is the passing score for GH-500?+
The official public GitHub Advanced Security exam page does not list a passing score. Confirm the current passing score and scoring policy during exam registration.
Are these GitHub Advanced Security practice tests free?+
Yes. All GitHub Advanced Security GH-500 practice tests on Security Practice Test are free, and a free PDF is available for offline review and focused revision.
How are mixed set questions distributed across domains?+
Mixed GH-500 practice tests follow the current exam skill areas: GitHub Security Suites, Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, Code Security, Security Operations, and GitHub Security Suites Administration. The CodeQL domain-wise test is separated for deeper study inside the Code Security skill area.
What does the GH-500 exam cover?+
The exam covers GitHub Security suites, Secret Protection, Supply Chain Security, Code Security, CodeQL, security alert workflows, remediation best practices, prevention-first security, governance, policies, and enterprise administration.
Do I need prerequisites before taking GH-500?+
No mandatory prerequisite certification is listed publicly. Candidates should have experience with GitHub Advanced Security, GitHub fundamentals, CI/CD concepts, secure development workflows, and security alert remediation.
Can I retake the GH-500 exam if I fail?+
Yes. Microsoft Learn states that candidates can retake a GitHub certification exam 24 hours after the first failed attempt. Waiting periods for later retakes vary, so review the active exam retake policy before scheduling again.
How much does the GitHub Advanced Security exam cost?+
GitHub certification exams are listed at $99 USD, but regional pricing may apply depending on the country or region where the exam is proctored.

Ready to Test Your GH-500 Knowledge?

Start with a mixed GitHub Advanced Security practice test to measure your readiness, then use the domain-wise tests to strengthen weak areas before exam day.

Start GH-500 Practice Test 1 →

Authors

  • Security Practice Test Editorial Team

    Security Practice Test Editorial Team is the expert content team at SecurityPracticeTest.com dedicated to producing authoritative cybersecurity certification exam-prep resources. We create comprehensive practice tests, study materials, and exam-focused content for top security certifications including CompTIA Security+, SecurityX, PenTest+, CISSP, CCSP, SSCP, Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), CGRC, CISM, SC-900, SC-200, AZ-500, AWS Certified Security - Specialty, Professional Cloud Security Engineer, OSCP+, GIAC certifications, CREST certifications, Check Point, Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks exams. Our content is developed through careful review of official exam objectives, cybersecurity knowledge domains, and practical job-relevant concepts to help learners build confidence, strengthen understanding, and prepare effectively for certification success.

  • Sudhanshu Thakur - Reviewer

    Enterprise Technology and Digital Transformation Professional with 18+ years of experience in enterprise software, SaaS, industrial automation, and business consulting. Formerly associated with Rockwell Automation, Tech Mahindra, Emerson, ABB, L&T Infotech, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.