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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 organization uses Azure Repos and requires that all code changes pass a security scan before merging. The scan is run as a build validation policy. However, the scan takes 30 minutes and developers often bypass it by pushing directly to main. How can you enforce the policy for all changes?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set a branch policy on main that requires a build validation with the security scan
Option C is correct because setting a branch policy on main that requires a build validation with the security scan enforces the scan as a mandatory gate for all pull requests targeting main. This prevents developers from bypassing the scan by pushing directly, as the policy blocks direct pushes and only allows changes through pull requests that must pass the configured build validation.
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.
✗
Turn off direct push permissions for all users and force all changes through pull requests
Why it's wrong here
Without a branch policy, users could still create PRs that bypass the scan if policy is not set.
✗
Delete the main branch and recreate it as a protected branch
Why it's wrong here
Deleting main is disruptive and not a standard practice.
✓
Set a branch policy on main that requires a build validation with the security scan
Why this is correct
Branch policies enforce the scan on every push; protecting main prevents bypasses.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a service hook to run the scan on every push to main
Why it's wrong here
Service hooks are asynchronous and don't enforce the scan before merge.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think a service hook or simply disabling direct pushes is sufficient, but they fail to recognize that only a branch policy with a required build validation can enforce the scan as a gate for all changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Repos branch policies enforce rules at the server side using the Git reference update protocol; when a build validation policy is configured, Azure DevOps queues a build for each pull request and rejects the merge if the build fails. Under the hood, the policy uses the Azure DevOps REST API to check build status before allowing the pull request to complete, and it can also block direct pushes by setting the 'Require a minimum number of reviewers' or 'Check for linked work items' options. In a real-world scenario, if the security scan takes 30 minutes, developers might be tempted to bypass it, but a mandatory build validation policy ensures compliance without relying on manual enforcement.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-400 question in full detail.
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: Set a branch policy on main that requires a build validation with the security scan — Option C is correct because setting a branch policy on main that requires a build validation with the security scan enforces the scan as a mandatory gate for all pull requests targeting main. This prevents developers from bypassing the scan by pushing directly, as the policy blocks direct pushes and only allows changes through pull requests that must pass the configured build validation.
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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Question Discussion
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