AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement build and release pipelines
Which THREE are valid ways to trigger a pipeline in Azure Pipelines? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Do not confuse Azure Pipelines trigger syntax with other CI systems. Azure Pipelines supports CI triggers, PR triggers, and scheduled triggers as first-class trigger types.
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
✓
Schedule trigger
A is correct because Azure Pipelines supports scheduled triggers via the `schedules` block in YAML (or the Triggers UI), which runs the pipeline on a cron-based timetable. B is correct because PR triggers (`pr:` in YAML) cause the pipeline to run when a pull request is opened or updated against specified branches, typically for validation builds. C is correct because CI triggers (`trigger:` in YAML) run the pipeline automatically whenever code is pushed to the included branches, which is the standard continuous integration mechanism. D is not a valid Azure Pipelines trigger; `on: push` is GitHub Actions syntax, not Azure Pipelines YAML. E is not a valid trigger type in Azure Pipelines; commits are picked up through CI triggers, not a separate 'commit trigger' construct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Schedule trigger
Why this is correct
A schedule trigger runs the pipeline automatically at defined cron times, satisfying the requirement for a valid pipeline trigger. It is configured via the trigger's schedules block in YAML, distinct from CI, PR, or pipeline-completion triggers.
- ✓
Pull request (PR) trigger
Why this is correct
A pull request trigger fires the pipeline when a PR is opened or updated against a configured branch, using branch policies to validate the merge. It is one of the supported pipeline trigger types alongside CI, scheduled and pipeline-completion triggers.
- ✓
Continuous integration (CI) trigger
Why this is correct
A continuous integration trigger fires the pipeline automatically whenever code is pushed or a pull request merges to the configured branch, satisfying scheduled-on-commit execution. It is a first-class, built-in Azure Pipelines trigger defined in YAML under the trigger keyword.
- ✗
'on: push' trigger in YAML
Why it's wrong here
'on: push' is GitHub Actions syntax, not Azure Pipelines YAML, which uses 'trigger:' with branch and path filters. It tempts because push-based CI is a genuine trigger concept and the phrasing sounds like Azure Pipelines, but the pipeline would ignore this key entirely.
- ✗
Commit trigger
Why it's wrong here
'Commit trigger' is not an Azure Pipelines trigger type; commits reach pipelines through CI triggers configured on the repository, not a standalone commit trigger. It tempts because commits are what CI responds to, but the valid mechanisms are CI triggers, scheduled triggers and pipeline completion triggers.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Implementing Security and Compliance in Pipelines
Key term
Pipeline
A pipeline is an automated series of steps that takes code from development to production, ensuring quality and speed.
Key term
GitHub
GitHub is a cloud-based platform for storing, tracking, and collaborating on code using Git version control.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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