I have a solution with 30+ .NET projects where NuGet package versions were previously defined individually across multiple .csproj files.

During migration to Centralized Package Management, I used the CentralisedPackageConverter, which created a single Directory.Packages.props file to manage package versions centrally.

Before migration, one of my test projects (SampleTest.csproj) contained:

After migration:

• Directory.Packages.props contains:

• However, SampleTest.csproj no longer contains any reference to Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk (neither Include nor Update).

Despite this:

• The solution builds successfully

• CI/CD pipelines pass without any issues which has the test suite also included.

Questions

1. Is it expected behavior that PackageReference entries (like Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk) are completely removed from the .csproj during migration?

2. How is the dependency being resolved if it is not explicitly referenced in the project file?

3. What is the potential impact or risk of not having Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk explicitly listed in the test project?

4. Should I manually re-add the PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" in the .csproj, or is relying on Directory.Packages.props sufficient?

Can anyone help me here with their thoughts ?