This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement build and release pipelines. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 creating a YAML pipeline that builds a .NET Core application. The pipeline must use a multi-stage build with separate stages for 'Build', 'Test', and 'Deploy'. The 'Deploy' stage should only run if both 'Build' and 'Test' succeed. Which two conditions can you use to achieve this? (Select all that apply.)
In the Deploy stage, set 'condition: and(succeeded('Build'), succeeded('Test'))'
Why wrong: This syntax is for job conditions; stage conditions do not accept string arguments for succeeded().
In the Deploy stage, set 'dependsOn: [Build, Test]' and 'condition: stageDependencies.Build.result == 'Succeeded''
Why wrong: 'stageDependencies' is not a valid expression; you would use 'dependencies.Build.result'.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
In the Deploy stage, set 'dependsOn: [Build, Test]'
Option A is correct because setting 'dependsOn: [Build, Test]' in the Deploy stage ensures that the Deploy stage only starts after both the Build and Test stages have completed. By default, a stage runs only if all its dependencies succeed, so this alone meets the requirement without needing an explicit condition. This is the standard way to enforce sequential execution in multi-stage YAML pipelines.
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.
In the Deploy stage, set 'condition: and(succeeded('Build'), succeeded('Test'))'
Why it's wrong here
This syntax is for job conditions; stage conditions do not accept string arguments for succeeded().
In the Deploy stage, set 'dependsOn: [Build, Test]' and 'condition: stageDependencies.Build.result == 'Succeeded''
Why it's wrong here
'stageDependencies' is not a valid expression; you would use 'dependencies.Build.result'.
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
This syntax is for job conditions; stage conditions do not accept string arguments for succeeded().
Why this is wrong here
'stageDependencies' is not a valid expression; you would use 'dependencies.Build.result'.
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 often confuse the 'succeeded()' function with the ability to check individual stage results, leading them to incorrectly select Option B, or they misremember the exact syntax for accessing stage dependencies in Option D.
Detailed technical explanation
In Azure Pipelines YAML, the 'dependsOn' keyword establishes a dependency graph between stages, and by default, a stage runs only if all its direct dependencies succeed. The 'condition' property uses predefined functions like 'succeeded()', 'failed()', or 'always()' that evaluate the overall pipeline status, not individual stage results. For fine-grained control, you can use 'stageDependencies.<stageName>.result' to check specific stage outcomes, but the syntax requires proper dot notation (e.g., 'stageDependencies.Build.result').
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
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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: In the Deploy stage, set 'dependsOn: [Build, Test]' — Option A is correct because setting 'dependsOn: [Build, Test]' in the Deploy stage ensures that the Deploy stage only starts after both the Build and Test stages have completed. By default, a stage runs only if all its dependencies succeed, so this alone meets the requirement without needing an explicit condition. This is the standard way to enforce sequential execution in multi-stage YAML pipelines.
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
This AZ-400 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-400 exam.
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