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 for source control and wants to enforce that all pull requests into the main branch require at least two reviewers and must pass a status check from a CI pipeline. Which branch protection rule configurations should you apply?
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.
Require a minimum of 2 reviewers, require status checks to pass before merging
Correctly includes both requirements.
Require signed commits and status checks
Why wrong: Commit signing is not required for the scenario.
Require status checks to pass, but do not require reviewers
Why wrong: Missing reviewer requirement.
Require a minimum of 2 reviewers, but do not require status checks
Why wrong: Missing status checks requirement.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Require a minimum of 2 reviewers, require status checks to pass before merging
Option A is correct because GitHub branch protection rules allow you to require a minimum number of reviewers before merging and to require status checks to pass. By setting 'Require a minimum number of reviewers' to 2 and enabling 'Require status checks to pass before merging', you enforce that every pull request into the main branch must be approved by at least two reviewers and must pass the CI pipeline status check, meeting the stated requirements.
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.
Require a minimum of 2 reviewers, require status checks to pass before merging
Why this is correct
Correctly includes both requirements.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Require signed commits and status checks
Why it's wrong here
Commit signing is not required for the scenario.
Require status checks to pass, but do not require reviewers
Why it's wrong here
Missing reviewer requirement.
Require a minimum of 2 reviewers, but do not require status checks
Why it's wrong here
Missing status checks requirement.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may think requiring signed commits or only status checks is sufficient, but the question explicitly demands both two reviewers and a CI status check, which only option A satisfies.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Commit signing is not required for the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
GitHub branch protection rules are enforced server-side via the protected branch API, which checks conditions before allowing a merge. The 'Require status checks to pass before merging' setting uses commit statuses reported by CI systems (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins) via the Status API; if a status is pending or failing, the merge button is disabled. In a real-world scenario, combining these rules prevents merging code that hasn't been reviewed by multiple peers or that breaks the CI build, which is critical for maintaining code quality in a team environment.
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: Require a minimum of 2 reviewers, require status checks to pass before merging — Option A is correct because GitHub branch protection rules allow you to require a minimum number of reviewers before merging and to require status checks to pass. By setting 'Require a minimum number of reviewers' to 2 and enabling 'Require status checks to pass before merging', you enforce that every pull request into the main branch must be approved by at least two reviewers and must pass the CI pipeline status check, meeting the stated requirements.
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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