This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement a source control strategy. 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.
Which TWO Git commands are commonly used to incorporate changes from a remote repository into your local branch while keeping history linear?
git pull --rebase
Fetches and rebases local commits on top of remote branch.
git fetch
Why wrong: Only downloads objects, does not integrate.
git merge
Why wrong: Creates a merge commit, history not linear.
git cherry-pick
Why wrong: Applies a single commit, not for full integration.
git rebase
Reapplies commits on top of another branch.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
git pull --rebase
`git pull --rebase` (A) is correct because it fetches changes from the remote and then replays your local commits on top of the fetched commits, resulting in a linear history without merge commits. `git rebase` (E) is correct because it directly rewrites commit history by moving or combining a sequence of commits onto a new base, which can be used to incorporate remote changes linearly when combined with `git fetch`.
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.
git pull --rebase
Why this is correct
Fetches and rebases local commits on top of remote branch.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
git fetch
Why it's wrong here
Only downloads objects, does not integrate.
git merge
Why it's wrong here
Creates a merge commit, history not linear.
git cherry-pick
Why it's wrong here
Applies a single commit, not for full integration.
git rebase
Why this is correct
Reapplies commits on top of another branch.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `git fetch` (which only downloads data) with `git pull` (which integrates), or they assume `git merge` always creates a merge commit and forget that fast-forward merges can keep history linear, but the question explicitly asks for commands that keep history linear, and `git merge` does not guarantee that.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `git rebase` works by identifying the common ancestor of your branch and the target branch, then creating new commits for each of your local changes on top of the target branch's tip, effectively rewriting commit hashes. A subtle behavior is that rebase can cause conflicts for each replayed commit, requiring sequential resolution, and it should not be used on shared branches because it rewrites history. In a real-world CI/CD scenario, teams often use `git pull --rebase` to avoid merge commits in feature branches before merging into main, ensuring a clean, linear history for easier bisecting and auditing.
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 a source control strategy — This question tests Design and implement a source control strategy — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: git pull --rebase — `git pull --rebase` (A) is correct because it fetches changes from the remote and then replays your local commits on top of the fetched commits, resulting in a linear history without merge commits. `git rebase` (E) is correct because it directly rewrites commit history by moving or combining a sequence of commits onto a new base, which can be used to incorporate remote changes linearly when combined with `git fetch`.
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 25, 2026
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