Enforcing Linked Work Items Build Validation and Three Reviewers via Branch Policies
You have a project in Azure DevOps. You need to implement a new branching solution. The solution must ensure that all pull requests meet the following requirements: • Include linked work items. • Pass build validation policies. • Require at least three reviewers. What should you include in the solution?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
Branch policies are the Azure Repos mechanism for enforcing mandatory requirements on pull requests, and they cover all three conditions in one place: required reviewers, build validation, and linked work item linkage.
A new branching solution in Azure DevOps must ensure every pull request carries linked work items, passes build validation, and has at least three reviewers. All three conditions are mandatory gates that apply to every pull request in the repository.
Reaching for pull request templates, which only prefill the pull request description with text and prompts. A template cannot block a pull request, so it cannot enforce any of the three requirements.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Each of the three requirements is a mandatory condition that must block a pull request when unmet: linked work items, build validation, and a minimum of three reviewers. Azure Repos exposes exactly these as branch policies, which are evaluated on every pull request against the target branch and can reject the merge when a policy is not satisfied. Configuring branch policies therefore delivers all three requirements without needing separate mechanisms. The vote was unanimous at 100 for A, and FeriAZ described the mechanism accurately, noting that branch policies let you define rules and configurations for branches in the version control system, which is the feature that makes the enforcement possible.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Pull request templates (B) only prefill the pull request description, providing authors with a checklist or structure to follow. A template is guidance rather than enforcement, so a developer can delete the checklist items or write an empty description and still submit the pull request, which means it cannot guarantee linked work items or a reviewer count. Branch security (C) is concerned with who can push to or protect a branch and with restricting who can create or delete branches, so it is about authorization on the branch rather than about the content requirements of an incoming pull request. Pull request permissions (D) govern who may open, update, or approve pull requests, which controls the participants rather than validating the substance of the change.Community Comment Notes
The community was unanimous at 100 for A, and the single substance comment from FeriAZ identified branch policies as the Azure DevOps feature that defines rules for branches, which is precisely the mechanism the three requirements need. The absence of any dissenting comment is consistent with a question whose distractors are all documentation or metadata features that cannot enforce a merge gate. The distinction worth carrying forward is between templates, which suggest a practice, and policies, which block a merge when the practice is not followed.Related Analysis
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