Domain (06): (QRP) Testing with GitHub Copilot

[MohamedRadwan-DevOps]

Domain (06): (QRP) Testing with GitHub Copilot (9%)

Document Type: QRP (Quick Revision Pack)
Scope: This document provides a high signal, minimal noise revision pack for this domain, optimized for last mile review. It focuses on crisp bullet points, micro examples, and checklists that cover the most important concepts and exam relevant angles.

Testing generation options (what Copilot can do for tests)

Testing/Options for generating tests

• Use inline suggestions to complete test stubs you start (test name + arrange/act/assert skeleton).
• Use Copilot Chat to generate tests from a function/class by providing: target code + test framework + required scenarios.
• Use IDE testing workflows (where supported) to write, fix, and iterate on tests faster (generate → run → fix → expand coverage).

Testing/Add unit tests, integration tests, and other test types

• Unit tests: ask for deterministic tests with mocks/fakes and explicit assertions for outputs/exceptions/side effects.
• Integration tests: ask Copilot to define the system boundary (DB, filesystem, HTTP) and to specify what must be real vs mocked.
• Other types: request property-based tests, contract tests, performance/regression tests, or snapshot tests by naming the framework and “what must never change.”

Testing/Identify edge cases and suggest tests to address them

• Ask explicitly for edge-case inventory: boundary values, null/empty, invalid formats, overflow/precision, timezones, concurrency, retries, and error paths.
• Force completeness by requesting a table: “Scenario | Input | Expected | Assertion | Notes,” then generate the tests from that table.

Testing/Quick check

• Micro example: “Generate unit tests for validate_price(price) in pytest: happy path + 3 boundary cases + 2 error cases, then add assertions for exact exception messages.”

Source:
Generating unit tests (GitHub Docs)
Test with GitHub Copilot (VS Code guide) (VS Code Docs)
How to generate unit tests with GitHub Copilot: Tips and examples (GitHub Blog)
Develop Unit Tests using GitHub Copilot tools (Microsoft Learn)

Copilot SKUs and privacy considerations

SKUs/What the exam expects you to distinguish

• Individual plans focus on personal use; Business/Enterprise add admin governance (policies, controls, visibility).
• Privacy posture depends on: plan + org policy + your settings (where not overridden).

Privacy/High-signal considerations across SKUs

• You are responsible for what you paste: avoid secrets/PII; keep context minimal and necessary.
• Key privacy controls commonly tested:
  • Prompt/suggestion collection controls (when available and not overridden by org policy).
  • Public code matching controls (allow vs block) to reduce IP reuse risk.
• Business/Enterprise typically centralize enforcement so developer-level settings may be restricted by policy.

SKUs/Quick check

• Micro example: “In an org-managed plan, verify org policy for public-code matching and prompt collection; then confirm your IDE behavior aligns with that policy.”

Source:
Plans for GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Managing GitHub Copilot policies as an individual subscriber (GitHub Docs)
Responsible use of GitHub Copilot (GitHub Docs)
Managing policies and features for GitHub Copilot in your organization (GitHub Docs)

Organization-level code suggestion configuration (policy controls)

Org policies/Code suggestion configuration options (what admins can control)

• Admins can centrally set policies that control privacy and availability of features/models for the organization.
• Org policy is the “source of truth” for licensed users; individual settings can be overridden by organization policy.

Org policies/Quick check

• Micro example: “As an org admin: go to Org Settings → Copilot → Policies; confirm what’s enabled/disabled, then validate in an IDE session with a licensed user.”

Source:
Managing policies and features for GitHub Copilot in your organization (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot policies to control availability of features and models (GitHub Docs)
Feature availability when GitHub Copilot policies conflict in organizations (GitHub Docs)
Managing policies and features for GitHub Copilot in your enterprise (GitHub Docs)
Setting up GitHub Copilot for your organization (GitHub Docs)
Managing GitHub Copilot policies as an individual subscriber (GitHub Docs)

GitHub Copilot Editor config file

Editor config/What it is (and why it matters)

• Some IDE integrations use a Copilot config file to store IDE-level Copilot settings (location and format depend on IDE).
• Example (IDE-specific): a github-copilot.xml file may be created only after you change language defaults; if not present, you may need to create it manually per documented paths.

Editor config/Where to look for settings (VS Code example)

• In VS Code, Copilot behavior is primarily controlled through VS Code settings (User/Workspace settings), with a dedicated settings reference for Copilot.

Editor config/Quick check

• Micro example: “If Copilot language behavior differs from expectation, verify IDE settings and confirm whether the Copilot config file exists and matches the intended language configuration.”

Source:
Configuring GitHub Copilot in your environment (GitHub Docs)
Configuring GitHub Copilot in your environment (JetBrains) (GitHub Docs)
GitHub Copilot in VS Code settings reference (VS Code Docs)
GitHub Copilot August 10th update (languageAllowListReadOnly) (GitHub Changelog)