A build pipeline takes 14 minutes, mostly restoring packages and running unit tests one project after another. Which change shortens the run without reducing test coverage?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Restore time falls when package caches are reused across runs, and splitting unit test projects into parallel jobs reduces wall-clock time while every test still executes. Both changes keep coverage intact. Skipping tests on pull requests reduces what is validated before merge, slower hardware lengthens execution, and a larger timeout hides the problem rather than fixing the duration target.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Dropping tests from pull request runs lets defects reach the main branch unchecked, which reduces coverage in exactly the place the team needs it.
- C. A slower agent extends every step, so total run time grows rather than shrinks, which is the opposite of the goal.
- D. A longer timeout only lets slow runs complete; it does nothing to shorten them and ignores the stated duration target.