- A
Use a single main branch and create release branches for each weekly release; features are merged to release branches, then release branches are merged to main after testing.
Why wrong: This adds release branches, which are unnecessary for a small team with weekly releases.
- B
Use GitHub Flow: developers create feature branches from main, open pull requests with required CI and at least one review, then merge to main. Hotfixes follow the same process.
GitHub Flow is lightweight, supports CI, and allows quick hotfixes.
- C
Allow developers to commit directly to main but require all commits to pass CI and be reviewed by at least one other developer after the fact.
Why wrong: Direct commits with post-review can still introduce issues; pull requests are better for pre-review.
- D
Adopt GitFlow with develop and release branches.
Why wrong: GitFlow is overly complex for a small team and introduces long-lived branches.
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. 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.
Your company is a startup developing a mobile application with a small team of 5 developers. You use GitHub Free and want to implement a simple but effective branching strategy that supports continuous delivery. The team wants to release new features every week and be able to hotfix critical bugs quickly. They currently have a main branch and feature branches, but sometimes features are merged to main before they are fully tested, causing issues. You need to recommend a strategy that minimizes risk while keeping the process lightweight. The team does not want to use long-lived branches. What should you recommend?
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
Use GitHub Flow: developers create feature branches from main, open pull requests with required CI and at least one review, then merge to main. Hotfixes follow the same process.
GitHub Flow is the simplest and most effective strategy for a small team using GitHub Free that wants continuous delivery without long-lived branches. By requiring feature branches, pull requests with CI checks, and at least one review before merging to main, it ensures that all code is tested and reviewed before integration, preventing untested features from breaking main. Hotfixes follow the same lightweight process, allowing quick, safe patches without additional branch overhead.
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.
- ✗
Use a single main branch and create release branches for each weekly release; features are merged to release branches, then release branches are merged to main after testing.
Why it's wrong here
This adds release branches, which are unnecessary for a small team with weekly releases.
- ✓
Use GitHub Flow: developers create feature branches from main, open pull requests with required CI and at least one review, then merge to main. Hotfixes follow the same process.
Why this is correct
GitHub Flow is lightweight, supports CI, and allows quick hotfixes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Allow developers to commit directly to main but require all commits to pass CI and be reviewed by at least one other developer after the fact.
Why it's wrong here
Direct commits with post-review can still introduce issues; pull requests are better for pre-review.
- ✗
Adopt GitFlow with develop and release branches.
Why it's wrong here
GitFlow is overly complex for a small team and introduces long-lived branches.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often overcomplicate branching strategies for small teams, mistakenly choosing GitFlow (Option D) or release branches (Option A) when GitHub Flow's simplicity and built-in CI/review gates perfectly address the need for risk mitigation without long-lived branches.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GitHub Flow relies on branch protection rules that enforce required status checks (e.g., CI pipeline) and pull request reviews before merge, which is configured via GitHub's branch protection API. Under the hood, this prevents direct pushes to main and ensures that every merge commit is gated by automated tests and human review, maintaining a linear, deployable history. In a real-world scenario, a hotfix for a critical bug can be created as a feature branch from main, tested, reviewed, and merged in minutes without disrupting the weekly release cadence.
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
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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: Use GitHub Flow: developers create feature branches from main, open pull requests with required CI and at least one review, then merge to main. Hotfixes follow the same process. — GitHub Flow is the simplest and most effective strategy for a small team using GitHub Free that wants continuous delivery without long-lived branches. By requiring feature branches, pull requests with CI checks, and at least one review before merging to main, it ensures that all code is tested and reviewed before integration, preventing untested features from breaking main. Hotfixes follow the same lightweight process, allowing quick, safe patches without additional branch overhead.
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.
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
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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