GitHub launches Agentic AI exam

GitHub and Microsoft have launched a new beta certification for developers working with AI agents, opening a formal exam track around what the companies call “agentic” software development. Microsoft announced the credential, GitHub Certified: Agentic AI Developer, in a May 13 blog post, and exam pages are now live on both Microsoft Learn and GitHub Learn. The new credential is tied to Exam GH-600, which Microsoft describes as a role-based test for people who “operate, supervise, and integrate AI agents” across software development workflows. GitHub’s certification materials say the exam focuses on production SDLC work, including configuration, evaluation, orchestration and governance of autonomous agents. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) ### When did GitHub actually announce the exam? Microsoft published the launch post on May 13, 2026 under the byline of Giuliano Gemero, saying the company was looking for GitHub community members to help test a new beta exam. The post says candidates earn the certification by passing Exam GH-600: Agentic AI Developer, which is “currently in beta.” (techcommunity.microsoft.com) GitHub’s own certification listings were live by the time the pages were crawled over the weekend, showing the new credential alongside the company’s existing certifications. GitHub Docs says certification pages include skills measured, preparation material and registration links, and the GitHub certifications page now includes Agentic AI Developer as one of the available options. ### What does GH-600 test? (techcommunity.microsoft.com) Microsoft Learn says the exam is aimed at people with expertise in operating, integrating, supervising and governing AI agents inside “production-grade SDLC workflows.” The listed responsibilities include operating agent workflows, supervising autonomous behavior with GitHub controls, tuning outputs, configuring custom agents and coordinating multi-agent execution safely. (learn.github.com) The published exam domains go beyond a general label. Microsoft Learn lists domain areas including preparing agent architecture and SDLC processes, implementing tool use and environment interaction, managing memory and state, evaluating agent behavior, and coordinating multi-agent workflows. GitHub Learn’s outline adds examples such as separating planning from execution, requiring human approval before action, creating inspectable artifacts, handling long-running execution and resolving conflicts between agents. (learn.microsoft.com) Microsoft’s May 13 post says the target audience includes software developers, platform engineers, DevOps engineers, security engineers and technical product managers. GitHub Learn lists a similar audience profile and says there are no formal prerequisites. ### Is there a syllabus, a score and a release timetable? Microsoft Learn has now published a study guide for GH-600, dated within the last week, with skills measured and exam-preparation links. (learn.microsoft.com) The guide says a score of 700 or greater is required to pass. The beta timing is also partly disclosed. Microsoft Learn says candidates in the beta will not receive results immediately and that scores will be released about eight weeks after the beta period ends. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) A detail remains inconsistent across official pages. Microsoft Learn says candidates will have 120 minutes to complete the assessment, while GitHub Learn lists the exam duration as 100 minutes. (learn.microsoft.com) Both pages say the exam can be taken online or through Pearson VUE, and GitHub Learn says the certificate validity is 24 months. ### How does this fit into GitHub’s broader certification lineup? (learn.microsoft.com) GitHub Docs lists existing certifications in foundations, Actions, Advanced Security, Administration and Copilot. The new agentic credential extends that catalog into AI-agent operations and governance rather than a single GitHub product feature. Microsoft’s launch post says GH-600 is part of “a broader shift” toward certifications that reflect changes in software development workflows. (learn.microsoft.com) That characterization comes from Microsoft’s own description of the program. ### What happens next for candidates? Microsoft Reactor has scheduled a livestream for May 28, 2026 titled “The Agentic AI Developer: Deep Dive into the GitHub GH-600 Certification.” The event page says the session will walk through the exam objective domain and study guides, and it names Ari LiVigni, a senior learning advocate at GitHub, as speaker. (docs.github.com) The same event page says the first 100 people who take Exam GH-600 on or before May 31, 2026 can receive 80% off market price, while noting the beta exam is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India or China. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) Microsoft Learn and GitHub Learn both have active registration and preparation pages for the beta exam. (developer.microsoft.com)