mediumMultiple Choice
200-901 Practice Question: An engineer is designing a CI/CD pipeline for a…
An engineer is designing a CI/CD pipeline for a Python application. The pipeline should automatically run unit tests, build a Docker image, push it to a private registry, and deploy to a Kubernetes cluster. Which sequence of stages is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the logical order of CI/CD stages, and the trap here is that candidates may think building before testing is acceptable, but the pipeline must validate code before creating artifacts to avoid deploying untested code.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Test -> Build -> Push -> Deploy
A CI/CD pipeline for a Python application must first run unit tests to validate code quality, then build the Docker image from the tested code, push the image to a private registry, and finally deploy to Kubernetes. This sequence ensures that only tested and built artifacts are deployed, preventing deployment of broken or untested code.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Build -> Test -> Push -> Deploy
Why it's wrong here
Building before testing wastes compute on an image that failing unit tests would discard, and the stem requires tests to run automatically first. Test-then-build is correct because tests validate source before the artefact is produced. Build-first suits pipelines with no test gate.
- ✗
Test -> Push -> Deploy
Why it's wrong here
Pushing before building means no image exists to push, so the registry step fails. Building produces the artefact that push transfers; the stem lists build as a required stage. Push-then-deploy is correct only after the image has been constructed and tagged.
- ✗
Test -> Deploy -> Build -> Push
Why it's wrong here
Deploying before building leaves Kubernetes with no image to pull, and push occurs after the cluster already needs the artefact. Build must precede push, which must precede deploy. This ordering suits nothing in the stem, which requires a built image in a private registry.
- ✓
Test -> Build -> Push -> Deploy
Why this is correct
Unit tests must pass before any artefact is produced, so Test precedes Build; the image can only be pushed after it exists, and deployment requires the pushed image. This ordering satisfies the pipeline's dependency chain and prevents broken code reaching the registry or cluster.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 200-901 question is part of Courseiva's 975-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.