AZ-400 Design and implement source control Practice Question
This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement source control. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A development team uses Git for source control. They want to enforce a branching strategy where all feature work is done in short-lived branches that are merged to main via pull requests. The team also requires that every commit on main builds successfully. Which TWO practices should the team implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a branch policy on main that requires a successful build before merging.
Option A is correct because configuring a branch policy on main that requires a successful build before merging ensures that every commit merged into main has passed a validation build. This enforces the team's requirement that every commit on main builds successfully, as the pull request cannot be completed until the build pipeline reports success.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Configure a branch policy on main that requires a successful build before merging.
Why this is correct
Ensures every commit to main has passed build validation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use squash merge when completing pull requests to main.
Why it's wrong here
Squash merge is optional; it simplifies history but is not required for build validation.
✓
Require at least one approver on all pull requests targeting main.
Why this is correct
Ensures code review before merge, supporting quality and collaboration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create feature branches from main and keep them long-lived for stability.
Why it's wrong here
Long-lived branches contradict the short-lived branch strategy.
✗
Allow developers to commit directly to main for urgent fixes.
Why it's wrong here
Direct commits bypass the pull request process and branch policy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse squash merge (which simplifies history) with a practice that ensures build success, or they mistakenly think allowing direct commits for urgent fixes is acceptable when the requirement explicitly demands every commit on main builds successfully.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Repos branch policies use a combination of pull request validation builds and status checks to gate merges. The build validation policy triggers a pipeline on the merge commit (the combination of source and target) and blocks the merge unless the build succeeds. This is distinct from CI triggers on push, as it validates the exact state that will exist after merge, preventing integration failures even if the source branch builds in isolation.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-400 question in full detail.
Design and implement source control — This question tests Design and implement source control — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a branch policy on main that requires a successful build before merging. — Option A is correct because configuring a branch policy on main that requires a successful build before merging ensures that every commit merged into main has passed a validation build. This enforces the team's requirement that every commit on main builds successfully, as the pull request cannot be completed until the build pipeline reports success.
What should I do if I get this AZ-400 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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