Systematically tracking changes in code and documents so multiple people can work at the same time without conflicts.
Version control is the ability to record file changes, revert to specific points in time, and merge parallel streams of work. It goes beyond tool operation to include designing how teams collaborate and building workflows that ensure code quality. From managing history on a personal project to governing repositories with hundreds of contributors, it's a foundational skill across all of software development.
You recognize the problem that editing a file means you can't get back to the previous state, and you learn how a version control system solves it. You clone a repository, record changes, and sync with a remote repository by following step-by-step instructions. At this stage you rely on documentation or a senior colleague's guidance rather than working independently.
What Comes Next
If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready to enter the Commit Practitioner stage, creating branches, writing meaningful commit messages, and resolving simple conflicts. According to CS2023 (ACM/IEEE/AAAI) SE/Tools curriculum, repeatedly applying version control fundamentals in real projects accelerates the shift from tool familiarity to independent usage.
SFIA CFMG describes responsibility levels from L2 (tool-assisted CI tracking) to L6 (CM strategy design, organizational policy), mapping directly to the Levelica 7-level structure
The definitive Git reference. Ten chapters progress from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced, serving as the primary basis for each level knowledge scope and checklist design
CS2023 SE/Tools lists version control as a required topic. Familiarity-to-Usage learning outcomes provide academic grounding for L1-L3 checklists
The U.S. Department of Labor classifies Git as an 'In-Demand Hot Technology,' confirming version control as a core professional competency
The foundational paper on deliberate practice. Immediate feedback, target difficulty, and tacit-knowledge externalization provide learning-science grounding for acquiring version control expertise. Informs the training methodology in L3-L5 transition hints.
