GH-300 - Use GitHub Copilot features - Section 2.2

Use Copilot Chat, Agent Mode, Edit Mode, and Plan Mode, and choose the right surface for a task.

Use Copilot Chat for explanations and multi-turn work, Edit Mode for scoped multi-file changes, Agent Mode for autonomous task execution, and Plan Mode to scope work first. Manage agent sessions and delegate to sub-agents, and know the limits, slash commands, and feedback options of Copilot Chat.

Copilot ChatAgent ModeEdit ModePlan ModeSlash commands

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleUse GitHub Copilot featuresmedium

A developer is mid-task in Copilot Agent Mode, which has been editing several files autonomously, when they decide the remaining work needs careful edit-by-edit approval instead of autonomous action. They want to continue refining the same change conversationally but regain per-edit control. What is the most appropriate way to proceed?

  • AStay in "Agent Mode" but add a custom instruction telling Copilot to pause and request confirmation before it writes to any file during the rest of the session.
  • BSwitch to "Plan Mode" so Copilot drafts an ordered breakdown of the steps, then have it apply every step at once without a further review stage.
  • COpen the "GitHub Copilot CLI" in a terminal and re-describe the change there so each shell command is shown for approval before it runs against the files.
  • DSwitch to "Edit Mode" in the same Copilot Chat panel and describe the remaining changes, reviewing each proposed edit before it is applied to the files. Correct
Recognise that Edit Mode is the surface for applying natural-language code changes across files with per-edit review, distinct from autonomous Agent Mode. Edit Mode takes a natural-language instruction and proposes concrete edits across one or more files, but it presents those edits for the developer to inspect and accept or reject, whereas Agent Mode is designed to act autonomously and run tasks to completion with minimal intervention.

Why A is wrong: Agent Mode is built to act autonomously and run tasks to completion, and a custom instruction does not convert it into a reliable per-edit approval surface, so it does not meet the need.

Why B is wrong: Plan Mode produces an ordered breakdown before coding rather than applying reviewable edits, so it is tempting for structure but does not give the edit-by-edit approval being sought.

Why C is wrong: The CLI suggests shell commands for terminal tasks, not editor file edits with per-edit review, so it is the wrong surface for refining an in-editor code change.

Why D is correct: Edit Mode applies multi-file changes from a natural-language instruction but surfaces each edit for the developer to accept or reject, which gives the per-edit control they now want.

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