2.2.2. Installation and Setup
💡 First Principle: Installing the CLI follows the same identity logic as the IDE — get the tool, then authenticate with GitHub — because access is tied to your GitHub account and plan, not to the machine.
Setup is intentionally quick: install the GitHub Copilot CLI, then authenticate against your GitHub account. For organizations, admins can apply access controls so the CLI respects org policy just like other surfaces. Once authenticated, the CLI inherits your plan's capabilities and credit allowance.
The high-level steps a candidate should recognize:
- Install the Copilot CLI (per the official, current install instructions for your platform).
- Authenticate with your GitHub identity.
- Confirm your plan/seat grants Copilot access; org members may be subject to admin policy.
- Start an interactive session and begin issuing natural-language goals.
📝 Currency note: The exact install command and package name have changed as the CLI evolved from the older extension to the standalone agent. The exam tests that installation requires GitHub authentication and a valid plan — not a specific command string. Always confirm the current command in GitHub's docs.
⚠️ Exam Trap: Authentication is mandatory. A scenario where someone "installed the CLI but it won't work" most often points to a missing GitHub sign-in or a plan/policy restriction, not a broken install.
Reflection Question: A developer reports the CLI installed cleanly but refuses to run any task. Before assuming a bug, what two account-level things should you verify first?
