Coding.
GitHub Advanced Security Test
The GitHub Advanced Security test evaluates candidates' ability to implement secure development practices using GitHub tools, ensuring hiring teams identify skilled professionals in secure, modern DevOps workflows.
Summarize this test and see how it helps assess top talent with:
- Test type
- Coding
- Duration
- 45 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Questions
- 25
Skills measured
GHAS Fundamentals & Core Features
Evaluates basic understanding of GitHub Advanced Security, including core components like Code Scanning (via CodeQL), Secret Scanning, and Dependency Review. Also covers initial setup, UI navigation (Security tab, Alerts), supported ecosystems, and prerequisites for enabling security features in public, private, or trial repositories.
Code Scanning Configuration
Tests ability to configure and maintain CodeQL workflows including YAML workflow definitions, running default and custom queries, scheduling scans, managing analysis across languages, and optimizing workflow reusability across repositories. Covers practical use of GitHub Actions and configuring scan behavior on PRs, pushes, and scheduled intervals.
Custom CodeQL Query Writing
Focuses on the creation and refinement of CodeQL custom queries tailored to unique organizational needs. Assesses understanding of CodeQL syntax, query testing using VS Code and CLI tools, integrating new queries into the scanning pipeline, and managing query packs in private registries. Emphasizes use cases such as detecting custom taint flows and unsafe patterns.
Secret Scanning & Push Protection
Assesses knowledge of GitHub’s secret scanning capabilities, including pre-commit push protection, scanning for known token formats, triaging alerts, configuring custom patterns using regex, and alert governance. Also evaluates how secrets are managed in forks, private repositories, and how integration with incident response tools is achieved.
Dependency Review & Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Tests ability to manage supply chain security using GitHub’s native dependency review features. Includes evaluating changes in manifest/lock files, interpreting alerts on vulnerable dependencies, applying security upgrades, using SBOM integration, and managing licenses and transitive dependencies.
GHAS in CI/CD & DevSecOps Pipelines
Evaluates integration of GHAS features into broader DevSecOps CI/CD workflows using GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, etc. Covers fail-build conditions, artifact security gates, secrets management in workflows, conditional scanning, scan caching, and scan orchestration for monorepos and microservices architectures.
API & CLI Integration
Focuses on using GitHub’s REST and GraphQL APIs, as well as GitHub CLI, to automate security scanning, extract alerts, manage state, and integrate GHAS into dashboards, SIEMs, and ticketing systems. Includes real-world use cases such as alert syncing, metrics aggregation, and batch repo scanning across organizations.
Alert Triage, Dashboarding & Reporting
Covers interpreting and managing alerts, resolving false positives, prioritizing vulnerabilities based on CVSS/CWE, and customizing dashboards for development, security, and compliance stakeholders. Also includes historical data trends, audit trails, and security insights visualization across multiple teams and environments.
Org-Level Security Policies & Permissions
Evaluates ability to manage security permissions at the organization level, including repository-level GHAS enablement, org-wide enforcement rules, user roles, SAML SSO, audit logging, and setting up security managers. Tests ability to maintain uniform security posture across multiple teams and enforce baseline policies.
Governance, Risk & Compliance with GHAS
Assesses GHAS’s role in supporting secure-by-default strategies, regulatory compliance (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), and enterprise-wide adoption. Includes risk quantification, integration with GRC tools, audit preparedness, secure software delivery practices, and measuring security maturity with actionable insights.
Use of the GitHub Advanced Security Test
The GitHub Advanced Security test is a specialized assessment designed to evaluate a candidate’s ability to implement, manage, and optimize security features within GitHub repositories and workflows. As modern software development relies heavily on collaborative and continuous integration environments, the security of codebases, secrets, and dependencies has become more critical than ever. This test ensures that candidates possess the practical knowledge required to secure the development lifecycle using GitHub’s native tools and best practices. Employers increasingly rely on GitHub Advanced Security to identify vulnerabilities early in the development process. By integrating security directly into the DevOps workflow, teams can mitigate risks before they escalate. The test helps hiring managers assess whether a candidate can effectively utilize GitHub’s capabilities such as code scanning, secret scanning, and dependency review, while also demonstrating a broader understanding of secure coding and repository governance. Skills assessed in this test typically include secure development workflows, policy enforcement, static analysis implementation, management of security alerts, and integration of GitHub Advanced Security features into CI/CD pipelines. The test is relevant for DevSecOps professionals, security engineers, and developers in organizations prioritizing proactive and automated security controls. Incorporating this assessment into the hiring process helps organizations identify candidates who are not only proficient in GitHub but also demonstrate a strong security mindset aligned with modern software development practices.
Who is this test for?
The GitHub Advanced Security test is relevant for assessing candidates in DevOps, cybersecurity, and software engineering roles across industries, ensuring they can effectively manage code security, secret scanning, and dependency analysis within GitHub workflows.
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