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 uses GitHub and wants to prevent direct pushes to the main branch. Only pull requests with at least one approval should be allowed to merge. Which GitHub feature should you use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Repository rulesets
Why wrong: Rulesets can also enforce policies but branch protection rules are more specific to this scenario.
Branch protection rules
Branch protection rules can require pull request reviews and block direct pushes.
CODEOWNERS file
Why wrong: CODEOWNERS assigns reviewers but does not block direct pushes.
GitHub Actions
Why wrong: GitHub Actions is for workflows, not branch protection.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Branch protection rules
Branch protection rules are the correct GitHub feature to enforce that direct pushes to the main branch are blocked and that only pull requests with at least one approval can merge. This is configured under the repository's Settings > Branches, where you can require pull request reviews before merging and restrict who can push directly.
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.
Repository rulesets
Why it's wrong here
Rulesets can also enforce policies but branch protection rules are more specific to this scenario.
Branch protection rules
Why this is correct
Branch protection rules can require pull request reviews and block direct pushes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CODEOWNERS file
Why it's wrong here
CODEOWNERS assigns reviewers but does not block direct pushes.
GitHub Actions
Why it's wrong here
GitHub Actions is for workflows, not branch protection.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse CODEOWNERS (which only requests reviews) with branch protection rules (which enforce mandatory reviews and block direct pushes), leading them to pick the wrong option when the question explicitly requires enforcement.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Rulesets can also enforce policies but branch protection rules are more specific to this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
Branch protection rules work by intercepting push and merge operations at the Git reference level, using the GitHub API to check conditions such as required status checks, number of approvals, and dismissal of stale reviews before allowing a merge. Under the hood, GitHub enforces these rules by rejecting non-compliant pushes with a 403 error and blocking the merge button until all conditions are met, which is critical for maintaining a clean main branch in regulated environments like PCI-DSS or SOC2.
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: Branch protection rules — Branch protection rules are the correct GitHub feature to enforce that direct pushes to the main branch are blocked and that only pull requests with at least one approval can merge. This is configured under the repository's Settings > Branches, where you can require pull request reviews before merging and restrict who can push directly.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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