GitHub Interview Questions and Answers
Whether you’re applying for an internship, junior developer role, or a DevOps position, you’re likely to be asked about Git and GitHub in your interview. This chapter covers commonly asked interview questions along with clear explanations to help you stand out.
🧠 Basic-Level Questions
1. What is Git?
Git is a distributed version control system used to track changes in source code and coordinate work among developers.
2. What is GitHub?
GitHub is a web-based platform for hosting Git repositories. It provides additional tools for collaboration like pull requests, issue tracking, and GitHub Actions.
3. What is the difference between Git and GitHub?
- Git: The actual tool that tracks code changes (offline).
- GitHub: A cloud service that hosts Git repositories and supports collaboration.
4. What is a commit?
A commit is a snapshot of your repository at a given point in time, often accompanied by a message describing the changes.
5. What is a branch in Git?
A branch is an independent line of development that allows you to work on new features without affecting the main codebase.
⚙️ Intermediate-Level Questions
6. What is a pull request?
A pull request (PR) is a GitHub feature that lets you propose changes in a branch and request that someone reviews and merges them into another branch.
7. What is the difference between git fetch and git pull?
git fetch: Downloads updates from the remote repo without merging.git pull: Downloads and automatically merges changes into your current branch.
8. How do you resolve merge conflicts in Git?
You manually edit the conflicting files, choose which changes to keep, then stage and commit the resolved file.
9. What is a fork in GitHub?
A fork is your own copy of someone else’s repository. You can experiment freely and propose changes via pull requests.
10. What are GitHub Actions?
GitHub Actions is a feature that lets you automate tasks like testing, building, and deploying code directly from your GitHub repo.
🔐 Advanced-Level Questions
11. What are protected branches in GitHub?
Protected branches prevent direct changes, ensuring that all changes are reviewed via pull requests, pass status checks, or require approvals.
12. How do you handle a situation where you pushed to the wrong branch?
Create a new branch from the commit, push it, and delete the original one if necessary:
git checkout -b correct-branch
git push origin correct-branch
git push origin --delete wrong-branch
13. Explain CI/CD in the context of GitHub.
CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) is a practice where code changes are automatically tested, built, and deployed using tools like GitHub Actions.
14. What is the difference between git merge and git rebase?
merge: Combines branches and preserves commit history.rebase: Moves or combines commits to make a linear history (used for cleaner commit logs).
💬 Bonus Questions
| Question | Tip |
|---|---|
| Have you ever contributed to open-source? | Mention forks, PRs, and issues you’ve worked on. |
| What’s your GitHub username? | Recruiters may check your public profile, so keep it clean and active. |
| How do you manage code reviews? | Mention PRs, approvals, inline comments, and suggested changes. |
🧳 Interview Preparation Tips
- Keep your GitHub profile active and professional
- Add your best projects with README files
- Document your work and include descriptive commits
- Practice resolving merge conflicts
- Be ready to demo a repo or explain a workflow
Bonus Tips, Resources & Final Notes
You’ve reached the end of this practical guide on Git and GitHub — but your journey as a developer is just beginning. In this final chapter, we’ll wrap up with bonus tips, helpful resources, and motivation to keep building and collaborating.
Bonus Tips for Becoming a Git & GitHub Pro
🔹 1. Practice Git Daily
The best way to master Git is to use it regularly. Start version-controlling your personal projects — even if you’re the only one working on them.
🔹 2. Write Descriptive Commit Messages
Avoid vague messages like update or fix. Instead, write messages like:Fix navbar layout issue on mobile view
🔹 3. Keep Your Repositories Organized
- Add a README.md for every project
- Use .gitignore to avoid committing unnecessary files
- Add LICENSE to make your project open-source-friendly
🔹 4. Use Pull Requests — Even in Solo Projects
They help you review your own code, experiment safely, and keep your main branch clean.
🔹 5. Explore GitHub CLI
The GitHub CLI allows you to manage issues, pull requests, and workflows from your terminal. It’s powerful and time-saving.
🌐 Recommended Resources
Here are some great places to go further:
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| GitHub Docs | Official and beginner-friendly |
| Git Book | Comprehensive and free |
| Oh My Git! | Interactive Git learning game |
| Pro Git Book (PDF) | Deep dive into Git concepts |
| GitHub Learning Lab | Hands-on tutorials from GitHub |
📌 Quick Recap of What You Learned
✅ Git basics: install, init, add, commit, push
✅ Branching, merging, and resolving conflicts
✅ GitHub: repos, forks, pull requests, actions
✅ Collaboration workflows and team management
✅ Open-source contribution process
✅ GitHub Actions for CI/CD automation
✅ Interview questions and real-world project flow
💬 Final Note from the Author
You don’t need to be a Git expert on day one. Start small. Practice often. And don’t be afraid to break things — that’s the best way to learn.
Remember: every pro was once a beginner.
Keep building. Keep pushing. Keep collaborating.
See you on GitHub!