Jenkins Intermediate Quiz

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Test your knowledge on Pipelines, Agents, and Artifacts.

Instructions:

• Select the best answer for each question.
• Your score will be shown at the end.

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What are the two syntaxes for Jenkins Pipelines?

Declarative and Scripted

YAML and JSON

XML and HTML

Bash and Python

Pipelines can be written in Declarative syntax (easier, more structured) or Scripted syntax (Groovy-based, more flexible).

#

In a Jenkinsfile, which block contains the actual work?

steps

task

job

run

Inside a stage, the steps block contains the actual commands to execute.

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What is the purpose of the archiveArtifacts step?

To save files generated by the build for later use

To delete old builds

To compress the source code

To upload files to Git

archiveArtifacts captures files (like JARs, WARs, reports) produced by the build so they can be downloaded from the Jenkins UI.

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Which cron syntax means "Run every 15 minutes"?

H/15 * * * *

15 * * * *

* * * * 15

15 15 15 15 15

H/15 * * * * runs the job every 15 minutes. 'H' is used to spread load (hash).

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What is a "Shared Library" in Jenkins?

A reusable collection of Groovy scripts for Pipelines

A plugin for libraries

A folder for jar files

A backup system

Shared Libraries allow you to define common logic in external Git repositories and load them into your Pipelines.

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How do you define a parameter in a Declarative Pipeline?

parameters { string(...) }

inputs { text(...) }

args { var(...) }

vars { string(...) }

The parameters directive is used to define build parameters.

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What does the post section in a Pipeline do?

Defines actions to run after the pipeline or a stage completes

Defines pre-build steps

Sends HTTP posts

Authenticates users

The post section handles conditions like always, success, failure, changed to run cleanups or notifications.

#

Which directive is used to specify where the pipeline runs?

agent

node

runner

machine

agent specifies the execution point. agent any runs on any available agent.

#

How can you safely use secrets (like passwords) in a Pipeline?

Use the Credentials Binding plugin (withCredentials)

Hardcode them in the Jenkinsfile

Write them in a text file

Pass them as plain parameters

You should store secrets in Jenkins Credentials and access them using withCredentials or credentials() helper.

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What is "Jenkins Configuration as Code" (JCasC)?

Managing Jenkins master configuration via YAML files

Writing plugins in C++

Using Docker for agents

Writing Pipelines

JCasC allows defining the configuration of the Jenkins controller in a YAML file for reproducible setups.

#

What is the parallel directive used for?

To execute stages concurrently

To run on multiple agents

To duplicate the pipeline

To split the screen

The parallel directive allows you to define a list of stages to run in parallel.

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How do you access Environment Variables in a Pipeline?

${env.VARIABLE_NAME}

$VARIABLE_NAME

%VARIABLE_NAME%

{{ VARIABLE_NAME }}

Use ${env.VAR_NAME} or simply env.VAR_NAME to access environment variables.

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Which step allows you to pause the pipeline for user approval?

input

wait

pause

approve

The input step pauses execution until a user manually approves or aborts.

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What is the when directive used for?

To conditionally execute a stage

To loop a stage

To define a timestamp

To schedule the pipeline

when allows you to control whether a stage should be run depending on criteria (e.g., branch name, environment variable).

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What is a Multibranch Pipeline?

A pipeline that automatically creates jobs for each branch in a repo

A pipeline with multiple git repos

A pipeline that merges branches

A pipeline for master branch only

It scans the SCM repository for branches and creates a Pipeline job for each branch containing a Jenkinsfile.

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How do you discard old builds automatically?

Using options { buildDiscarder(...) }

Manually deleting them

Using a cron job

Restarting Jenkins

The buildDiscarder option allows you to configure log rotation (e.g., keep last 5 builds).

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Which file works as an ignore list for the SCM checkout?

.gitignore

.jenkinsignore

.scmingnore

.dockerignore

Jenkins respects .gitignore during the checkout process if standard Git behavior is used, effectively ignoring files from being tracked.

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What is the stash step used for?

To save files for use later in the same build (e.g., on another node)

To save artifacts permanently

To hide files

To encrypt files

stash saves a set of files for use later in the same build, often to transfer workspace content between different agents.

#

How do you set a timeout for a stage?

options { timeout(time: 1, unit: 'HOURS') }

timeout 1h

wait { 1 hour }

limit 1h

The timeout option aborts the stage/pipeline if it takes longer than the specified time.

#

What is the retry option used for?

To retry the block/stage a specified number of times on failure

To restart the controller

To retry the connection

To rollback

retry(3) will retry the enclosed steps up to 3 times if they fail.

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