Certifications on Brian Swiger

Domain 1: Use GitHub Copilot Responsibly

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how to use GitHub Copilot responsibly by recognizing AI risks, applying Microsoft responsible AI principles, and validating every output before it becomes code.

Lab 1: Exploring Copilot Surfaces

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot features

🎯 Learning Objectives

Experience all five primary Copilot interaction surfaces: inline suggestions, Chat panel, Inline Chat, Model Picker, and CLI
Understand when to use each surface and how they complement each other
Confirm your Copilot installation is active and your plan tier is correct

Prerequisites

VS Code installed with the GitHub Copilot extension enabled
GitHub Copilot seat assigned to your account (verify icon in VS Code status bar)
Copilot CLI installed (copilot --version)
A code project open in VS Code (any language — TypeScript recommended)

Exercises

Step 1

Inline Suggestions (Ghost Text)

Inline suggestions are Copilot's most iconic feature — gray "ghost text" that appears as you type. This exercise teaches you to trigger, navigate, and control them.

Copilot Pocket Reference Card

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A printable Copilot quick-reference card for last-minute GH-300 revision.

Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot Features

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The largest GH-300 domain covers every major Copilot surface: IDE, CLI, agents, MCP, review, collaboration, and admin control.

Exam Domains

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Study notes for each of the six official GH-300 exam domains, weighted as Microsoft publishes them.

Lab 2: Prompt Engineering Challenge

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 4: Apply prompt engineering and context crafting

🎯 Learning Objectives

Master five prompting techniques: zero-shot, few-shot, comment-driven, context crafting, and iterative refinement
Experience the difference between vague and specific prompts firsthand
Apply the 4S Framework (Single, Specific, Short, Surround) to every prompt

The 4S Framework (Reference)

🎯 Single — One task per prompt. Break complex goals into discrete steps.
🔍 Specific — Name technologies, specify types, mention edge cases.
✂️ Short — Concise beats verbose. Get to the point.
🔄 Surround — Provide context: open relevant files, add type annotations, use meaningful names.

Exercises

Step 1

Zero-Shot Prompting — Luhn Algorithm

Zero-shot means giving the model a task with no examples — just a clear description of what you want.

Domain 3: Understand Copilot Data and Architecture

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Understand how Copilot turns editor context into model requests, filters responses, handles data, and exposes model limits.

Hands-On Labs

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Eight practical labs, each mapped to the official exam domains it exercises.

Lab 3: Full Developer Workflow

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot features · Domain 5: Improve developer productivity

🎯 Learning Objectives

Use all four Chat modes (Ask, Edit, Plan, Agent) and understand when each is appropriate
Execute a complete scaffold-to-test workflow using Agent Mode
Use the modern Copilot CLI for real development tasks
Experience Copilot-assisted PR workflow on GitHub.com

Chat Modes Reference

Mode	What It Does	Best For
💬 Ask	Answers questions, explains code, suggests changes as text. Does not modify files.	Learning, exploration, code review
✏️ Edit	Makes direct file modifications. Shows diffs for approval.	Targeted refactoring, specific changes
📋 Plan	Researches the codebase and proposes an implementation plan without making file edits.	Planning complex changes before committing to them
🤖 Agent	Autonomous multi-step execution. Plans, edits files, runs terminal commands, iterates on errors.	Feature implementation, scaffolding, complex tasks

Exercises

Step 1

Scaffold a REST API with Agent Mode

Agent Mode is Copilot's most powerful feature — it can plan, create files, run commands, and iterate. You'll use it to scaffold an entire API project.

Domain 4: Apply Prompt Engineering and Context Crafting

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Use clear prompts, context, examples, chat history, and reusable instructions to make GitHub Copilot produce better answers.

Lab 4: Agent Mode Deep Dive

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot features

🎯 Learning Objectives

Implement a complete feature (pagination) using Agent Mode's autonomous loop
Observe and understand the Plan → Code → Test → Iterate cycle
Understand MCP (Model Context Protocol) and how it extends Copilot's capabilities
Experience Copilot cloud agent via GitHub Issues (if org allows)

The Agentic Loop

📋 Plan → 💻 Code → 🧪 Test → 🔄 Iterate → ✅ Done

Agent Mode repeats this cycle automatically. It reads errors, adjusts code, re-runs tests, and iterates until the task is complete or it asks for help.

GH-300 Practice Questions

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Practice questions grouped by official exam domain, every answer verified against current GitHub and Microsoft documentation.

Cheatsheets

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Condensed reference cards for last-minute GH-300 revision.

Domain 5: Improve Developer Productivity

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Domain 5 is about using Copilot to move faster without outsourcing judgment, ownership, testing, or security review.

Lab 5: Enterprise Configuration

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot features · Domain 6: Configure privacy, content exclusions, and safeguards

🎯 Learning Objectives

Configure content exclusions to prevent Copilot from accessing sensitive files
Understand and configure organization-level Copilot policies
Set up duplication detection and understand its relationship to IP indemnity
Navigate audit logs for Copilot activity
Review usage metrics and adoption data

Important Context

⚠️ Admin Access Required: Steps 1–2 require organization admin or Copilot admin access. If you don't have admin access, follow along observationally — screenshots and descriptions are provided. Step 3 (audit logs) requires admin access. Step 4 (metrics review) can be done with the public documentation.

Enterprise Policy Reference

Policy	Options	Business	Enterprise
Suggestions matching public code	Allow / Block	✅	✅
Content exclusions	Path patterns	✅	✅
Copilot in CLI	Enable / Disable	✅	✅
Copilot Chat in IDE	Enable / Disable	✅	✅
Copilot on GitHub.com	Enable / Disable	✅	✅
Admin policies (org-wide)	Various	✅	✅
IP indemnity	Requires duplication filter ON	✅	✅
SAML SSO	Enable / Disable	❌	✅
Audit logs (API)	Streaming / Export	✅	✅

Exercises

Step 1

Configure Content Exclusions

Content exclusions prevent Copilot from reading or suggesting code from specified file paths. This is critical for protecting sensitive files like environment variables, secrets, and proprietary algorithms.

Copilot Plans and AI Credits Billing

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Plans, allowances and AI Credits billing as they stand in August 2026.

Domain 6: Configure Privacy, Content Exclusions, and Safeguards

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how Copilot privacy controls, content exclusions, public-code safeguards, and policy hierarchy work for GH-300.

Lab 6: Security-First Testing

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 5: Improve developer productivity · Domain 1: Use GitHub Copilot responsibly

🎯 Learning Objectives

Use Copilot to generate code, then identify security vulnerabilities in it
Fix SQL injection and other OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities using Copilot
Generate security-focused test suites including attack vector tests
Understand how SAST/CodeQL complements Copilot-assisted development
Practice writing security review documentation with Copilot

🛡️ Important: This lab intentionally generates vulnerable code for educational purposes. Never deploy intentionally vulnerable code to production. All vulnerable examples should be created in isolated lab files and deleted after the exercise.

Exercises

Step 1

Generate — Create a Vulnerable User Search Function

Ask Copilot to generate a database query function. We'll deliberately use a vague prompt that may lead to insecure code.

Official GH-300 Resources

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Every official GH-300 resource worth your time, with each link checked.

Lab 7: Custom Instructions, Agents & Spaces

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot features · Domain 4: Apply prompt engineering and context crafting

🎯 Learning Objectives

Create and test repository-level custom instructions (copilot-instructions.md)
Create path-scoped instructions that apply to specific directories
Build reusable prompt templates (.prompt.md files)
Set up a Copilot Space with curated knowledge for your team
Create a custom agent profile in .github/agents/NAME.md

Custom Instructions Hierarchy

Personal → Path-specific → Repository-wide → Agent instructions → Organization

Shown highest to lowest precedence. Enterprise and organization policies are guardrails, not something repo files can override.

Lab 8: Capstone — Full Enterprise Setup

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Exam domains exercised

Domain 1: Use GitHub Copilot responsibly · Domain 2: Use GitHub Copilot features · Domain 3: Understand Copilot data and architecture · Domain 4: Apply prompt engineering and context crafting · Domain 5: Improve developer productivity · Domain 6: Configure privacy, content exclusions, and safeguards

🎯 Learning Objectives

Tie together every GH-300 exam domain in a single, realistic workflow
Configure governance: plans, content exclusions, and custom instructions
Build a feature with prompt engineering and Agent Mode
Find and fix a real security vulnerability and a worthless test
Apply Responsible AI practices with an AI-usage disclosure

Before You Start

Open the starter project in lab8-capstone/ (a tiny Express + TypeScript API)
GitHub Copilot extension active in VS Code
Node.js 20+ installed
Install and run the project once to confirm it works:

cd lab8-capstone
npm install
npm run dev # http://localhost:3000/health and /orders
npm test # runs the (intentionally flawed) test

💡 How this lab is organized: Each of the 8 steps below maps to one exam domain and to a concrete file already in lab8-capstone/. The repo's README.md is the quick demo script; this page is the detailed walkthrough.

👩‍🏫 Facilitators: see the Instructor's Guide for timings, talk track, and answer keys.

Certifications Expire. The Learning Compounds.

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:11:00 -0400

I have written, reviewed, and updated Microsoft certification exams, and I have held certifications for technologies that no longer exist. The credential was never the point. Here is why the journey matters more, and the GH-300 study hub I built to prove it.

GH-300 Study Hub

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Everything you need to pass GH-300, organized by the six official exam domains. Every fact checked against GitHub and Microsoft documentation.