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Design and implement a source control strategy →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement a source control strategy

This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement a source control strategy. 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.

Exhibit

{
  "policy": {
    "rules": [
      {
        "type": "required_pull_request_review",
        "parameters": {
          "required_approving_review_count": 2,
          "dismiss_stale_reviews": true,
          "require_code_owner_review": true
        }
      },
      {
        "type": "required_status_checks",
        "parameters": {
          "strict": true,
          "contexts": ["continuous-integration/jenkins/pr-merge", "Azure Policy Check"]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Refer to the exhibit. You are reviewing a branch protection rule for the main branch of a GitHub repository. A developer complains that after pushing new commits to an existing pull request, the existing approvals from two reviewers are dismissed, and the pull request cannot be merged even though the CI checks pass. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "most likely"

    Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

Exhibit

{
  "policy": {
    "rules": [
      {
        "type": "required_pull_request_review",
        "parameters": {
          "required_approving_review_count": 2,
          "dismiss_stale_reviews": true,
          "require_code_owner_review": true
        }
      },
      {
        "type": "required_status_checks",
        "parameters": {
          "strict": true,
          "contexts": ["continuous-integration/jenkins/pr-merge", "Azure Policy Check"]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

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

✓

The 'dismiss_stale_reviews' setting is enabled, which dismisses approvals when new commits are pushed.

Option A is correct because the 'dismiss_stale_reviews' setting in GitHub branch protection rules automatically dismisses existing pull request approvals when new commits are pushed to the branch. This explains why the developer sees approvals removed after pushing new commits, even though CI checks pass. The setting is designed to ensure that reviewers re-evaluate changes after updates.

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.

  • ✓

    The 'dismiss_stale_reviews' setting is enabled, which dismisses approvals when new commits are pushed.

    Why this is correct

    This is the direct cause of the behavior described.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    The 'strict' setting requires the branch to be up to date with the base branch, which is not the case.

    Why it's wrong here

    Strict requires updating the branch, but it does not dismiss approvals.

  • ✗

    The code owner review is required but no code owner has reviewed.

    Why it's wrong here

    This could block merge but does not explain dismissal of existing approvals.

  • ✗

    The CI check 'continuous-integration/jenkins/pr-merge' failed.

    Why it's wrong here

    The exhibit shows that status checks are passing.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may confuse the 'dismiss_stale_reviews' behavior with the 'strict' branch requirement, thinking that being out of date causes approval dismissal, when in fact 'strict' only blocks the merge button without affecting existing approvals.

Trap categories for this question

  • Command / output trap

    The exhibit shows that status checks are passing.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, GitHub's 'dismiss_stale_reviews' setting works by tracking the commit SHA of the latest review; when a new commit is pushed, the review's commit SHA no longer matches the head SHA, triggering dismissal. This is useful in regulated environments where every change must be re-reviewed, but it can frustrate developers who push minor fixes. Real-world scenarios often involve teams disabling this setting for fast-moving branches to avoid unnecessary re-review cycles.

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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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

Questions learners often ask

What does this AZ-400 question test?

Design and implement a source control strategy — This question tests Design and implement a source control strategy — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The 'dismiss_stale_reviews' setting is enabled, which dismisses approvals when new commits are pushed. — Option A is correct because the 'dismiss_stale_reviews' setting in GitHub branch protection rules automatically dismisses existing pull request approvals when new commits are pushed to the branch. This explains why the developer sees approvals removed after pushing new commits, even though CI checks pass. The setting is designed to ensure that reviewers re-evaluate changes after updates.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026

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