In modern DevOps environments, managing code efficiently and collaboratively is vital. This is where Version Control Systems (VCS) like Git come into play. From handling multiple contributors to maintaining code stability, Git forms the backbone of modern software development workflows.

If you’re preparing for a DevOps interview, you can expect a variety of Git interview questions — ranging from basic commands to advanced branching strategies and real-world workflow challenges.

This blog will walk you through the most common and practical Git and version control interview questions that every DevOps engineer should master.

What Is Version Control and Why Is It Important in DevOps?

A Version Control System (VCS) tracks and manages changes to code over time, allowing developers to collaborate efficiently. It helps teams to:

  • Track history and roll back to previous versions.
  • Collaborate without overwriting each other’s work.
  • Review and merge code changes.
  • Maintain release stability across environments.

In DevOps, version control integrates with CI/CD pipelines to automate builds, testing, and deployments — ensuring smooth delivery and rollback processes.

Popular version control systems include Git, Subversion (SVN), and Mercurial, but Git is the most widely adopted due to its flexibility, distributed nature, and integration with tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Common Git Interview Questions for DevOps Engineers

Below are the most frequently asked Git and Version Control interview questions, categorized by difficulty level.

Basic Git Interview Questions

  1. What is Git, and how is it different from other version control systems?
     Git is a distributed version control system that allows every developer to maintain a full copy of the code repository locally. Unlike centralized systems like SVN, Git enables offline commits, branching, and faster collaboration.
  2. What are the basic commands used in Git?
     Some essential commands include:
  • git init – Initialize a repository
  • git clone – Clone a remote repository
  • git add – Stage files for commit
  • git commit – Save changes with a message
  • git push – Upload changes to remote repo
  • git pull – Fetch and merge updates from remote
  1. What is the difference between Git and GitHub?
     Git is a version control tool, whereas GitHub is a web-based hosting service for Git repositories that facilitates collaboration and integration with CI/CD pipelines.

Intermediate Git Interview Questions

  1. What are Git branches and why are they useful?
     Branches in Git allow multiple developers to work on different features or fixes independently. Once validated, branches can be merged into the main codebase. This encourages parallel development and safe experimentation.
  2. Explain Git merge vs. Git rebase.
  • Merge: Combines changes from one branch into another while preserving history.
  • Rebase: Moves or replays commits from one branch onto another, creating a cleaner, linear commit history.
  1. What is a detached HEAD in Git?
     A detached HEAD occurs when you check out a commit instead of a branch. You’re no longer on a branch, so any new commits won’t belong to a named branch until you create one explicitly.
  2. How do you undo a commit in Git?
     You can use commands like:
  • git revert <commit_id> — Revert a commit safely.
  • git reset –hard <commit_id> — Reset branch state (use with caution).
  • git restore — Restore files to a specific state.

Advanced Git Interview Questions

  1. Explain the Git workflow in a DevOps environment.
     A typical DevOps Git workflow integrates Git with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins or GitLab CI:
  • Developer creates a feature branch.
  • Code is committed and pushed to a remote repository.
  • A merge request (MR) or pull request (PR) triggers CI/CD pipelines.
  • Automated tests, builds, and deployments run.
  • Upon approval, the branch is merged into main or develop.

This workflow supports continuous delivery and collaboration among multiple developers.

  1. What is the difference between Gitflow, GitHub Flow, and Trunk-Based Development?
Workflow Description Best For
Gitflow Uses feature, develop, and release branches Large teams with scheduled releases
GitHub Flow Lightweight, focuses on short-lived feature branches Continuous delivery
Trunk-Based Developers commit directly to main or trunk branch Fast-moving teams and microservices

 

  1. How do you resolve merge conflicts?
     Merge conflicts happen when changes in two branches overlap.

Steps to resolve:

  • Run git status to identify conflicting files.
  • Open the files and manually edit conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>).
  • Save the changes and run git add <file>.
  • Commit the merge using git commit.

Pro Tip: Tools like VS Code, GitKraken, or SourceTree simplify conflict resolution visually.

  1. How do you handle version control for binary or large files?
     Use Git LFS (Large File Storage), which replaces large files with text pointers inside Git while storing the actual content in a separate location.
  2. What is a commit hash, and why is it important?
     A commit hash is a unique SHA-1 identifier that Git generates for every commit. It ensures data integrity and allows precise tracking of changes.
  3. How do you integrate Git with CI/CD pipelines?
     Git can trigger CI/CD workflows automatically on push or merge events. For example:
  • In Jenkins, use webhooks or Git plugins.
  • In GitLab, define .gitlab-ci.yml files for automation.
  • In GitHub Actions, define workflows using YAML under .github/workflows/.

This integration ensures that every commit undergoes automated testing, linting, and deployment — crucial for DevOps automation.

Real-World Git Scenarios for DevOps

  1. A teammate accidentally pushed sensitive credentials. What should you do?
  • Immediately rotate exposed credentials.
  • Remove them from history using git filter-branch or git filter-repo.
  • Force push cleaned history and inform all collaborators.
  1. Your deployment failed due to an incorrect merge. How do you roll back?
     You can revert the merge commit using:

git log –oneline

git revert -m 1 <merge_commit_id>

This safely undoes the merge without rewriting history.

Bonus: Best Practices for Git in DevOps

  • Use meaningful commit messages for traceability.
  • Implement branch protection rules in GitHub or GitLab.
  • Automate code reviews and unit testing before merging.
  • Regularly sync branches with main to avoid large merge conflicts.
  • Use tagging (git tag) for stable releases.

Conclusion

Version control and Git workflows are foundational to DevOps engineering. They enable collaboration, ensure code reliability, and streamline CI/CD automation.

By mastering concepts like branching strategies, merge conflicts, and Git workflow examples, you can confidently handle interview questions that test both your technical depth and practical problem-solving abilities.

Remember: version control isn’t just about code — it’s about creating a reliable, auditable, and collaborative development environment that supports continuous delivery and innovation.