This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement source control. 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.
Which TWO are valid Git merge strategies available in Azure Repos pull requests?
Semi-linear merge
Rebases commits onto target then creates a merge commit.
Merge commit (no fast-forward)
Creates a merge commit with all source commits.
Fast-forward only
Why wrong: Not available as a PR merge option in Azure Repos.
Squash merge
Why wrong: Called 'Squash commit' in Azure Repos.
Rebase only
Why wrong: Not a PR merge strategy; rebase is done manually.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Semi-linear merge
Azure Repos pull requests offer three merge strategies: 'Merge commit (no fast-forward)', 'Semi-linear merge', and 'Squash merge'. 'Semi-linear merge' (Option A) creates a merge commit but ensures the source branch is rebased onto the target branch first, resulting in a linear history with a merge commit. 'Merge commit (no fast-forward)' (Option B) creates a merge commit that preserves the full history of both branches without any rebasing.
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.
Semi-linear merge
Why this is correct
Rebases commits onto target then creates a merge commit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Merge commit (no fast-forward)
Why this is correct
Creates a merge commit with all source commits.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Fast-forward only
Why it's wrong here
Not available as a PR merge option in Azure Repos.
Squash merge
Why it's wrong here
Called 'Squash commit' in Azure Repos.
Rebase only
Why it's wrong here
Not a PR merge strategy; rebase is done manually.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the available merge strategies in Azure Repos with those in other Git hosting platforms (like GitHub or GitLab), or they mistakenly think 'Fast-forward only' and 'Rebase only' are separate strategies when they are actually sub-behaviors or not offered at all.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Azure Repos implements these strategies using Git's underlying merge mechanisms. The 'Semi-linear merge' strategy first performs a `git rebase` of the source branch onto the target, then creates a merge commit, ensuring no merge bubbles appear in the history. This is distinct from 'Merge commit (no fast-forward)', which simply runs `git merge --no-ff` to force a merge commit even if a fast-forward is possible. In real-world scenarios, teams often choose 'Semi-linear merge' to maintain a clean, linear history while still recording the merge event, which is useful for audit trails.
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 source control — This question tests Design and implement source control — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Semi-linear merge — Azure Repos pull requests offer three merge strategies: 'Merge commit (no fast-forward)', 'Semi-linear merge', and 'Squash merge'. 'Semi-linear merge' (Option A) creates a merge commit but ensures the source branch is rebased onto the target branch first, resulting in a linear history with a merge commit. 'Merge commit (no fast-forward)' (Option B) creates a merge commit that preserves the full history of both branches without any rebasing.
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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