AZ-400 Configure processes and communications Practice Question
Your team uses GitHub Flow and wants to enforce that all pull requests require at least one approval before merging to the main branch. Which branch protection rule should you configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing 'require status checks' (automated CI gate) with 'require pull request approvals' (human review gate) — the question asks specifically for approval, so only the PR-with-approval rule satisfies it.
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
✓
Require a pull request before merging with at least 1 approval
GitHub branch protection's 'Require a pull request before merging' setting, with 'Require approvals' set to at least 1, enforces that changes to main go through a PR with a reviewer sign-off. This directly matches the requirement for at least one approval before merge. Status checks, push restrictions, and linear history address different concerns and do not enforce human approval.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Require status checks to pass before merging
Why it's wrong here
This rule ensures specified CI/CD checks (e.g., build, test, or code analysis) must pass before a merge, but it does not require any human code review or explicit approval. It validates automated quality gates only, leaving the approval process unenforced.
- ✗
Restrict who can push to matching branches
Why it's wrong here
This setting limits which users or teams can push directly to the protected branch, controlling write access rather than the pull request approval workflow. Even with tightened push permissions, you can still merge a PR without any reviewer approval unless an approval rule is separately configured.
- ✓
Require a pull request before merging with at least 1 approval
Why this is correct
This branch protection policy forces all changes to go through a pull request and, when 'Require approvals' is set to 1, prevents merging until at least one eligible reviewer has explicitly approved. It directly creates the desired human review gate before any code is integrated.
- ✗
Require linear history
Why it's wrong here
This option enforces a linear commit history by blocking merge commits and requiring rebase or squash merges, but it says nothing about code review or approvals. It helps maintain a clean history for readability and git bisect, yet does not address the requirement for peer sign-off.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.