AZ-400 Conditional signing on tag Practice Question
This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement build and release pipelines. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
You are designing a build pipeline that produces a NuGet package. The pipeline must conditionally sign the assembly only when the build is triggered by a tag starting with 'v' (e.g., v1.0.0). The pipeline uses a script task that signs the assembly. Which expression should you use in the condition of the script task?
Why wrong: Build.SourceBranchName for a tag is the tag name, so this would also work but is less precise; however, the official documentation recommends using Build.SourceBranch.
Option A is correct because the condition uses `startsWith(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/tags/v')` to check if the build was triggered by a tag whose full Git ref starts with `refs/tags/v`. This ensures the signing script runs only when the source branch is a tag reference matching the 'v' prefix, which is the standard way to identify version tags in Azure Pipelines. The `and(succeeded(), ...)` wrapper guarantees the previous tasks completed successfully before signing.
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.
Build.SourceBranchName for a tag is the tag name, so this would also work but is less precise; however, the official documentation recommends using Build.SourceBranch.
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-400 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓and(succeeded(), startsWith(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/tags/v'))Correct answer▾✗and(succeeded(), startsWith(variables['Build.SourceBranchName'], 'v'))Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Build.SourceBranchName for a tag is the tag name, so this would also work but is less precise; however, the official documentation recommends using Build.SourceBranch.
✗and(succeeded(), startsWith(variables['Build.SourceVersion'], 'v'))Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Build.SourceVersion is the commit SHA, not the tag.
✗and(succeeded(), eq(variables['Build.Reason'], 'IndividualCI'))Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Build.Reason checks for CI trigger, not tag.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-400blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `Build.SourceBranchName` (short name) with `Build.SourceBranch` (full ref), leading them to choose Option B, which would incorrectly match branches or other refs starting with 'v' instead of only tags.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Azure Pipelines, when a tag is pushed, the `Build.SourceBranch` variable is set to the full Git ref (e.g., `refs/tags/v1.0.0`), while `Build.SourceBranchName` is the short name (e.g., `v1.0.0`). Using the full ref avoids ambiguity with branch names that might start with 'v'. The `startsWith` function performs a case-sensitive string comparison, which is appropriate for tag naming conventions. This pattern is commonly used in release pipelines to trigger signing only for versioned releases, preventing accidental signing of debug builds.
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 build and release pipelines — This question tests Design and implement build and release pipelines — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: and(succeeded(), startsWith(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/tags/v')) — Option A is correct because the condition uses `startsWith(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/tags/v')` to check if the build was triggered by a tag whose full Git ref starts with `refs/tags/v`. This ensures the signing script runs only when the source branch is a tag reference matching the 'v' prefix, which is the standard way to identify version tags in Azure Pipelines. The `and(succeeded(), ...)` wrapper guarantees the previous tasks completed successfully before signing.
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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