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 team is adopting GitFlow with a main and develop branch. You need to ensure that hotfix branches are merged into both main and develop, but feature branches only into develop. What branch policy configuration should you implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use branch policies on main and develop that allow only certain source branches to merge, using branch naming conventions.
Option B is correct because Azure Repos branch policies allow you to restrict which source branches can merge into a target branch using branch naming conventions. By configuring policies on `main` and `develop` that only permit merges from specific source patterns (e.g., `hotfix/*` for `main` and `develop`, and `feature/*` only for `develop`), you enforce the GitFlow workflow without relying on manual oversight or build validation logic.
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.
✗
Set the main branch to require all merges to come from pull requests, and for develop, allow direct pushes.
Why it's wrong here
This does not handle hotfix merges to both branches.
✓
Use branch policies on main and develop that allow only certain source branches to merge, using branch naming conventions.
Why this is correct
Branch policies can restrict source branches via naming patterns.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure a global policy that requires all branches to have a minimum number of reviewers.
Why it's wrong here
Global policies are not granular enough.
✗
Use a build validation policy to check the branch name and reject merges that do not follow the pattern.
Why it's wrong here
Build validation runs after merge attempt, not an ideal enforcement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse build validation policies (which run after PR creation) with branch-level source branch restrictions (which prevent PR creation entirely), leading them to choose Option D despite it being a reactive rather than proactive control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Repos branch policies use the 'Allow only specific source branches to merge' setting under the branch policy configuration, which evaluates the source branch name against a set of glob patterns (e.g., `feature/*`, `hotfix/*`). This policy is enforced at pull request creation time, preventing unauthorized merges before any build or review process begins. In a real-world scenario, this ensures that a developer cannot accidentally merge a feature branch into `main` even if they create a pull request, maintaining the integrity of the release branch.
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.
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: Use branch policies on main and develop that allow only certain source branches to merge, using branch naming conventions. — Option B is correct because Azure Repos branch policies allow you to restrict which source branches can merge into a target branch using branch naming conventions. By configuring policies on `main` and `develop` that only permit merges from specific source patterns (e.g., `hotfix/*` for `main` and `develop`, and `feature/*` only for `develop`), you enforce the GitFlow workflow without relying on manual oversight or build validation logic.
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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