This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement build and release pipelines. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 have a YAML pipeline with multiple jobs that need to run in parallel. However, one job depends on artifacts produced by a previous job. How should you configure the dependency?
Use the 'dependsOn' keyword only, artifacts are automatically shared.
Why wrong: Artifacts must be explicitly published and downloaded.
Set the 'condition' to 'eq(variables['Agent.JobStatus'], 'Succeeded')' on the dependent job.
Why wrong: Condition controls execution but does not handle artifact sharing.
Use the 'pool' keyword to ensure both jobs run on the same agent.
Why wrong: Same agent is not guaranteed and doesn't handle dependencies.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Set dependsOn on the dependent job and use PublishBuildArtifacts and DownloadBuildArtifacts tasks.
Option A is correct because in Azure DevOps YAML pipelines, job dependencies are explicitly declared using the `dependsOn` keyword, and artifacts must be published and downloaded using `PublishBuildArtifacts` and `DownloadBuildArtifacts` tasks (or the `publish` and `download` pipeline decorators). Without explicit artifact sharing, outputs from one job are not automatically available to another job, even if `dependsOn` is set.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Use the 'dependsOn' keyword only, artifacts are automatically shared.
Why it's wrong here
Artifacts must be explicitly published and downloaded.
Set the 'condition' to 'eq(variables['Agent.JobStatus'], 'Succeeded')' on the dependent job.
Why it's wrong here
Condition controls execution but does not handle artifact sharing.
Use the 'pool' keyword to ensure both jobs run on the same agent.
Why it's wrong here
Same agent is not guaranteed and doesn't handle dependencies.
Option-by-option analysis
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.
Why this is wrong here
Artifacts must be explicitly published and downloaded.
Why this is wrong here
Condition controls execution but does not handle artifact sharing.
Why this is wrong here
Same agent is not guaranteed and doesn't handle dependencies.
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
The trap here is that candidates assume `dependsOn` alone handles artifact sharing, but Azure DevOps requires explicit publish/download tasks because jobs may run on different agents with no shared file system.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Azure DevOps jobs run in isolated agent workspaces by default, so artifacts must be explicitly published to the pipeline's artifact store (Azure Artifacts or the build artifact container) and then downloaded in the dependent job. The `dependsOn` keyword creates a directed acyclic graph (DAG) of job execution, but it does not imply any file-level sharing; the `PublishBuildArtifacts` task uploads files to the pipeline's storage, and `DownloadBuildArtifacts` retrieves them, ensuring cross-job data flow even across different agents.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
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..
The correct answer is: Set dependsOn on the dependent job and use PublishBuildArtifacts and DownloadBuildArtifacts tasks. — Option A is correct because in Azure DevOps YAML pipelines, job dependencies are explicitly declared using the `dependsOn` keyword, and artifacts must be published and downloaded using `PublishBuildArtifacts` and `DownloadBuildArtifacts` tasks (or the `publish` and `download` pipeline decorators). Without explicit artifact sharing, outputs from one job are not automatically available to another job, even if `dependsOn` is set.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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