AZ-400 Configure processes and communications Practice Question
Your team wants to automatically assign a code reviewer from a specific security group when a pull request modifies files in a 'security' folder. Which Azure DevOps feature should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates may confuse CODEOWNERS with branch policies. The correct approach is to use a branch policy with required reviewers and a path filter, not the CODEOWNERS file alone.
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
✓
Add a required reviewer policy for the branch.
Azure DevOps branch policies include a 'Required reviewers' policy that can be configured with a path filter. By specifying the path 'security' and adding the security group as required reviewers, the system will automatically add those reviewers to any pull request that modifies files in that folder. This is the built-in feature designed for this scenario. A CODEOWNERS file can also suggest reviewers based on file paths, but it is not a branch policy and does not enforce that the review must occur.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Add a required reviewer policy for the branch.
Why this is correct
A required reviewer policy on a branch mandates that at least one specified reviewer must approve every pull request targeting that branch, but it does not automatically assign a specific person based on the code changes; it simply enforces a generic approval requirement and cannot dynamically select a reviewer based on file paths or expertise.
- ✗
Enable 'Automatically approve' for security group.
Why it's wrong here
The 'Automatically approve' setting for a security group would cause the system to automatically approve pull requests for members of that group, effectively bypassing the need for a human code review and eliminating the intended assignment of an actual reviewer who would inspect the code.
- ✗
Code ownership policy with automatic reviewer assignment.
Why it's wrong here
A code ownership policy defines which users or groups are responsible for specific files or paths, and when a pull request modifies those files, Azure DevOps automatically assigns the matching owner as the reviewer, ensuring the appropriate expert is selected for the change.
- ✗
Branch policy with minimum number of reviewers.
Why it's wrong here
A branch policy requiring a minimum number of reviewers ensures a certain count of approvals before completion, but it does not specify who those reviewers should be; it leaves reviewer selection to the team, so it cannot automatically assign a particular code owner based on the modified files.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to DevOps and Azure DevOps
Key term
Branch
A branch is a pointer to a specific commit in a version control system that allows you to work on features or fixes in isolation from the main codebase.
Key term
Pull request
A pull request is a way for a developer to propose changes to a codebase and ask other team members to review and merge them into the main project.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.