Git and GitHub are essential tools for modern developers, especially in DevOps, open-source collaboration, and agile teams. In today’s competitive landscape, interviewers often grill candidates on Git basics, branching strategies, conflict resolution, and GitHub workflows. Whether you’re a fresher or experienced, these Git interview questions and answers will help you crack your next coding interview confidently.
📌 Table of Contents
What is Git and why is it used?
Difference between Git and GitHub
Common Git commands explained
Git branching interview questions
Git conflict and merge questions
GitHub-specific questions
Git for DevOps & CI/CD pipelines
Advanced Git commands
Real-world Git scenarios
FAQs
Conclusion
🔍 What is Git and Why is it Used?
Git is a distributed version control system used to track changes in source code during software development.
🔧 Key Features of Git:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distributed System | Every developer has the full history of the code repository. |
| Speed | Operations like commits, branching, and merging are fast. |
| Branching Support | Lightweight branching makes experimentation easy. |
| Data Integrity | SHA-1 checksums ensure integrity of data. |
| Collaboration | Teams can work on code simultaneously without overwriting each other’s work. |
🔁 Git vs GitHub – What’s the Difference?
| Criteria | Git | GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Version control system | Hosting service for Git repositories |
| Installed On | Local system (CLI or GUI like GitKraken) | Web-based platform |
| Usage | Code tracking and collaboration | Repository management, issue tracking, CI/CD |
| Access | Command line or GUI | Web interface + CLI |
🔥 Interview Tip: Many confuse Git with GitHub. Always make this distinction clear.
🛠️ Common Git Commands Explained (with Examples)
| Command | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
git init | Initialize a repository | git init |
git clone | Copy a repository | git clone https://repo-url.git |
git add | Stage changes | git add . or git add filename |
git commit -m "msg" | Commit changes | git commit -m "Fixed login bug" |
git status | View staged & unstaged changes | git status |
git log | Show commit history | git log |
🌲 Git Branching Interview Questions
Q1. What is a Git branch?
- A branch in Git is a pointer to a specific commit. It allows multiple lines of development in parallel.
Q2. How do you create a branch in Git?
git branch feature-login
Q3. How to switch branches?
git checkout feature-login
Q4. What is the difference between git merge and git rebase?
| Merge | Rebase |
|---|---|
| Preserves history | Rewrites commit history |
| Creates a new merge commit | Linear history |
| Easier for collaboration | Cleaner project history |
🔄 Git Conflict and Merge Questions
Q5. What causes a merge conflict in Git?
- A merge conflict occurs when two branches modify the same lines of code in a file and Git cannot resolve it automatically.
Q6. How do you resolve a Git conflict?
Open the conflicted file
Edit to keep necessary changes
Use:
git add filename
git commit
Q7. How to undo a commit?
| Use Case | Command |
|---|---|
| Undo last commit (keep changes) | git reset --soft HEAD~1 |
| Undo commit & changes | git reset --hard HEAD~1 |
💡 GitHub Interview Questions
Q8. What is a Pull Request (PR)?
- A pull request is a GitHub feature that lets developers notify team members they’ve pushed code to a branch and would like it to be merged.
Q9. What are GitHub Actions?
- GitHub Actions help automate workflows, like testing or deployment, directly from your GitHub repo.
Q10. How do you fork a repository?
- Forking is copying someone else’s repository to your account for independent development.
🚀 Git and DevOps Integration
Q11. Why is Git used in CI/CD pipelines?
Tracks code changes
Supports versioned builds
Works seamlessly with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
Q12. What is a Git tag?
- A tag marks a specific commit for release (e.g., v1.0.0).
git tag v1.0.0
🔍 Advanced Git Interview Questions
Q13. What is the difference between git stash and git commit?
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
git stash | Temporarily stores changes without committing |
git commit | Records the changes in version history |
Q14. What does git cherry-pick do?
- It picks a specific commit from one branch and applies it to another.
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
Q15. Explain .gitignore file.
- It lists files/folders Git should ignore and not track, such as
node_modules/or.env.
.
🎯 Real-World Git Scenarios (Ask These in Interviews!)
Q16. How do you revert a commit that has been pushed?
git revert <commit-hash>
Q17. How do you squash commits before merging?
git rebase -i HEAD~3
Squashes last 3 commits into one.
Q18. Difference between origin and upstream in GitHub?
origin: Default name for your forked repo.
upstream: Original source repo from which your fork originated.
💬 Top 5 GitHub Interview Questions
What is GitHub CLI and its benefits?
What is
.github/workflowsused for?Explain GitHub’s role in open-source collaboration.
How to protect main branches in GitHub?
What are GitHub Codespaces?
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Git mandatory for all developers?
- Yes, in most modern software teams, Git is the standard for version control.
2. How do GitHub and Bitbucket differ?
- GitHub is more open-source friendly, while Bitbucket is preferred for private repos and Atlassian integration.
3. Can I use Git without GitHub?
- Absolutely! Git works locally and with any remote host (like GitLab, Bitbucket).
4. What’s the use of .gitignore in a project?
- It prevents unnecessary files (like logs, builds) from being tracked.
5. Is learning Git hard?
- No, once you get the basics of staging, committing, and branching, Git becomes intuitive.
🏁 Conclusion
Mastering Git and GitHub is non-negotiable for modern developers. Interviewers often dig deep into real-world scenarios, not just definitions. By understanding the key Git interview questions and answers above — including branching, merging, conflict resolution, and GitHub workflows — you’ll position yourself as a confident and collaborative team player.
Whether you’re applying as a front-end engineer, DevOps engineer, or full-stack developer, the ability to demonstrate strong Git knowledge gives you a competitive edge.
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