diff --git a/src/git_autograder/__init__.py b/src/git_autograder/__init__.py
index 41ec0b0..bf0c7c7 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/__init__.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/__init__.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "GitAutograderRemote",
     "GitAutograderCommit",
     "GitAutograderExercise",
+    "GitAutograderTag"
 ]
 
 from .branch import GitAutograderBranch
@@ -25,3 +26,4 @@
 from .repo.repo import GitAutograderRepo
 from .repo.repo_base import GitAutograderRepoBase
 from .status import GitAutograderStatus
+from .tag import GitAutograderTag
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/branch.py b/src/git_autograder/branch.py
index 8a4e3c7..55a4262 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/branch.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/branch.py
@@ -141,5 +141,17 @@ def has_added_file(self, file_path: str) -> bool:
                 return True
         return False
 
+    def has_at_least_commits(self, n: int, *, user_only: bool = True) -> bool:
+        """
+        Return True if the branch has at least n commits.
+
+        If user_only=True, count only user commits.
+        """
+        if n < 0:
+            raise ValueError("n must be >= 0")
+
+        commits = self.user_commits if user_only else self.commits
+        return len(commits) >= n
+
     def checkout(self) -> None:
         self.branch.checkout()
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/commit.py b/src/git_autograder/commit.py
index d67cf71..dfbc941 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/commit.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/commit.py
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ def branches(self) -> List[str]:
         containing_branches = self.commit.repo.git.branch("--contains", self.hexsha)
         return [line[2:] for line in containing_branches.split("\n")]
 
+    @property
+    def message(self) -> str:
+        msg = self.commit.message
+        if isinstance(msg, bytes):
+            return msg.decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
+        return msg
+
     def checkout(self) -> None:
         self.commit.repo.git.checkout(self.commit)
 
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/exercise.py b/src/git_autograder/exercise.py
index 58a3d4c..a6b40ec 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/exercise.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/exercise.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Literal, Optional
 
 import pytz
-from git import InvalidGitRepositoryError
+from git import InvalidGitRepositoryError, Repo
 
 from git_autograder.answers.answers import GitAutograderAnswers
 from git_autograder.answers.answers_parser import GitAutograderAnswersParser
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ def __init__(
         self.__answers_parser: Optional[GitAutograderAnswersParser] = None
         self.__answers: Optional[GitAutograderAnswers] = None
 
+    @property
+    def git_repo(self) -> Repo:
+        ignored_repo_types = {"ignore", "local-ignore"}
+        if self.config.exercise_repo.repo_type in ignored_repo_types:
+            raise AttributeError(
+                "Cannot access attribute git_repo on GitAutograderExercise. "
+                "Check that your repo_type is not 'ignore' or 'local-ignore'."
+            )
+        return self.repo.repo
+
     @property
     def answers(self) -> GitAutograderAnswers:
         """Parses a QnA file (answers.txt). Verifies that the file exists."""
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/helpers/__init__.py b/src/git_autograder/helpers/__init__.py
index 938eb72..a2e325d 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/helpers/__init__.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/helpers/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-__all__ = ["BranchHelper", "CommitHelper", "RemoteHelper", "FileHelper"]
+__all__ = ["BranchHelper", "CommitHelper", "RemoteHelper", "FileHelper", "TagHelper"]
 
 from .branch_helper import BranchHelper
 from .commit_helper import CommitHelper
 from .remote_helper import RemoteHelper
 from .file_helper import FileHelper
+from .tag_helper import TagHelper
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/helpers/commit_helper.py b/src/git_autograder/helpers/commit_helper.py
index 183608a..e952f45 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/helpers/commit_helper.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/helpers/commit_helper.py
@@ -22,3 +22,12 @@ def commit_or_none(
             return GitAutograderCommit(c)
         except Exception:
             return None
+
+    def commit_from_message(
+        self, commits: list[GitAutograderCommit], message: str
+    ) -> Optional[GitAutograderCommit]:
+        target = message.strip()
+        for commit in commits:
+            if commit.message.strip() == target:
+                return commit
+        return None
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/helpers/file_helper.py b/src/git_autograder/helpers/file_helper.py
index b10595d..c6efd39 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/helpers/file_helper.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/helpers/file_helper.py
@@ -17,14 +17,65 @@ def file_or_none(
         if not os.path.isfile(file_path):
             yield None
         else:
-            with open(file_path, "r") as file:
+            with open(file_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
                 yield file
 
     @contextmanager
     def file(self, path: Union[str, os.PathLike[str]]) -> Iterator[TextIO]:
         file_path = os.path.join(self.repo.working_dir, path)
-        with open(file_path, "r") as file:
+        with open(file_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
             yield file
 
     def untracked_files(self) -> List[str]:
         return self.repo.untracked_files
+    
+    def is_content_equal(self, path: Union[str, os.PathLike[str]], expected: str) -> bool:
+        with self.file_or_none(path) as input_file:
+            if input_file is None:
+                return False
+
+            input_lines = [
+                line.strip() for line in input_file.readlines() if line.strip() != ""
+            ]
+
+        expected_lines = [
+            line.strip() for line in expected.splitlines() if line.strip() != ""
+        ]
+
+        return input_lines == expected_lines
+    
+    def are_files_equal(
+        self,
+        given: Union[str, os.PathLike[str]],
+        expected: Union[str, os.PathLike[str]],
+        *,
+        exact_match: bool = False,
+    ) -> bool:
+        """
+        Compare two repo-relative files.
+        Returns False if either file is missing.
+
+        - exact_match=False: compare normalized non-empty stripped lines.
+        - exact_match=True: compare full file contents exactly.
+        """
+        with self.file_or_none(given) as given_file:
+            if given_file is None:
+                return False
+            given_contents = given_file.read()
+
+        with self.file_or_none(expected) as expected_file:
+            if expected_file is None:
+                return False
+            expected_contents = expected_file.read()
+
+        if exact_match:
+            return given_contents == expected_contents
+
+        given_lines = [
+            line.strip() for line in given_contents.splitlines() if line.strip() != ""
+        ]
+        expected_lines = [
+            line.strip() for line in expected_contents.splitlines() if line.strip() != ""
+        ]
+
+        return given_lines == expected_lines
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/helpers/tag_helper.py b/src/git_autograder/helpers/tag_helper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4c502e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/git_autograder/helpers/tag_helper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+from typing import List, Optional
+
+from git import Repo
+from git.exc import GitCommandError
+
+from git_autograder.exception import GitAutograderInvalidStateException
+from git_autograder.tag import GitAutograderTag
+
+
+class TagHelper:
+    MISSING_TAG = "Tag {tag} is missing."
+    MISSING_REMOTE = "Remote {remote} is missing."
+    CANNOT_QUERY_REMOTE_TAGS = "Unable to query remote tags for '{remote}'."
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _parse_remote_tag_names(raw: str) -> list[str]:
+        names: list[str] = []
+
+        for line in raw.splitlines():
+            parts = line.split()
+            if len(parts) != 2:
+                continue
+
+            ref = parts[1]
+            if not ref.startswith("refs/tags/"):
+                continue
+
+            name = ref[len("refs/tags/") :]
+            if name.endswith("^{}"):
+                name = name[:-3]
+
+            if name not in names:
+                names.append(name)
+
+        return names
+
+    def __init__(self, repo: Repo) -> None:
+        self.repo = repo
+
+    def tag_or_none(self, tag_name: str) -> Optional[GitAutograderTag]:
+        for tag_ref in self.repo.tags:
+            if str(tag_ref) == tag_name:
+                return GitAutograderTag(tag_ref)
+        return None
+
+    def tag(self, tag_name: str) -> GitAutograderTag:
+        t = self.tag_or_none(tag_name)
+        if t is None:
+            raise GitAutograderInvalidStateException(
+                self.MISSING_TAG.format(tag=tag_name)
+            )
+        return t
+
+    def has_tag(self, tag_name: str) -> bool:
+        return self.tag_or_none(tag_name) is not None
+
+    def remote_tag_names_or_none(self, remote: str = "origin") -> Optional[List[str]]:
+        if not any(r.name == remote for r in self.repo.remotes):
+            return None
+
+        try:
+            raw = self.repo.git.ls_remote("--tags", remote)
+        except GitCommandError:
+            return None
+
+        return self._parse_remote_tag_names(raw)
+
+    def remote_tag_names(self, remote: str = "origin") -> List[str]:
+        if not any(r.name == remote for r in self.repo.remotes):
+            raise GitAutograderInvalidStateException(
+                self.MISSING_REMOTE.format(remote=remote)
+            )
+
+        names = self.remote_tag_names_or_none(remote)
+        if names is None:
+            raise GitAutograderInvalidStateException(
+                self.CANNOT_QUERY_REMOTE_TAGS.format(remote=remote)
+            )
+        return names
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/repo/null_repo.py b/src/git_autograder/repo/null_repo.py
index 553e529..f70557f 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/repo/null_repo.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/repo/null_repo.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from git_autograder.helpers.commit_helper import CommitHelper
 from git_autograder.helpers.file_helper import FileHelper
 from git_autograder.helpers.remote_helper import RemoteHelper
+from git_autograder.helpers.tag_helper import TagHelper
 from git_autograder.repo.repo_base import GitAutograderRepoBase
 
 
@@ -37,6 +38,12 @@ def files(self) -> FileHelper:
         raise AttributeError(
             "Cannot access attribute files on NullGitAutograderRepo. Check that your repo_type is not 'ignore'."
         )
+    
+    @property
+    def tags(self) -> TagHelper:
+        raise AttributeError(
+            "Cannot access attribute tags on NullGitAutograderRepo. Check that your repo_type is not 'ignore'."
+        )
 
     def __getattr__(self, name: str) -> None:
         raise AttributeError(
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/repo/repo.py b/src/git_autograder/repo/repo.py
index 9dbd36d..7e58724 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/repo/repo.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/repo/repo.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from git_autograder.helpers.commit_helper import CommitHelper
 from git_autograder.helpers.file_helper import FileHelper
 from git_autograder.helpers.remote_helper import RemoteHelper
+from git_autograder.helpers.tag_helper import TagHelper
 from git_autograder.repo.repo_base import GitAutograderRepoBase
 
 
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._commits: CommitHelper = CommitHelper(self._repo)
         self._remotes: RemoteHelper = RemoteHelper(self._repo)
         self._files: FileHelper = FileHelper(self._repo)
+        self._tags: TagHelper = TagHelper(self._repo)
 
     @property
     def repo(self) -> Repo:
@@ -44,3 +46,7 @@ def remotes(self) -> RemoteHelper:
     @property
     def files(self) -> FileHelper:
         return self._files
+    
+    @property
+    def tags(self) -> TagHelper:
+        return self._tags
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/repo/repo_base.py b/src/git_autograder/repo/repo_base.py
index b0f2ef3..9302f87 100644
--- a/src/git_autograder/repo/repo_base.py
+++ b/src/git_autograder/repo/repo_base.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from git_autograder.helpers.commit_helper import CommitHelper
 from git_autograder.helpers.file_helper import FileHelper
 from git_autograder.helpers.remote_helper import RemoteHelper
+from git_autograder.helpers.tag_helper import TagHelper
 
 
 class GitAutograderRepoBase(ABC):
@@ -28,3 +29,7 @@ def remotes(self) -> RemoteHelper: ...
     @property
     @abstractmethod
     def files(self) -> FileHelper: ...
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def tags(self) -> TagHelper: ...
diff --git a/src/git_autograder/tag.py b/src/git_autograder/tag.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5a8577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/git_autograder/tag.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+from typing import Any, Optional
+
+from git.refs.tag import TagReference
+
+from git_autograder.commit import GitAutograderCommit
+
+
+class GitAutograderTag:
+    def __init__(self, tag_ref: TagReference) -> None:
+        self.tag_ref = tag_ref
+
+    def __eq__(self, value: Any) -> bool:
+        return isinstance(value, GitAutograderTag) and value.tag_ref == self.tag_ref
+
+    @property
+    def name(self) -> str:
+        return str(self.tag_ref)
+
+    @property
+    def commit(self) -> GitAutograderCommit:
+        return GitAutograderCommit(self.tag_ref.commit)
+
+    @property
+    def is_annotated(self) -> bool:
+        return self.tag_ref.tag is not None
+
+    @property
+    def is_lightweight(self) -> bool:
+        return self.tag_ref.tag is None
+
+    def message_or_none(
+        self, *, strip: bool = True, lower: bool = False
+    ) -> Optional[str]:
+        if self.tag_ref.tag is None:
+            return None
+
+        message = self.tag_ref.tag.message
+        if strip:
+            message = message.strip()
+        if lower:
+            message = message.lower()
+        return message
+
+    def points_to(self, commit: GitAutograderCommit) -> bool:
+        return self.commit.hexsha == commit.hexsha