easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CCSP Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A cloud administrator ran the Azure CLI command to list virtual machines. One VM shows a ProvisioningState of 'Failed'. What is the most likely cause of this state?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'ProvisioningState' and 'PowerState' — the trap here is that candidates confuse a 'Failed' provisioning state with a deallocated or stopped VM, but 'ProvisioningState' only reflects the success of the resource creation or update operation, not the runtime status.
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
✓
The VM failed to start due to a resource quota limit or configuration error.
A 'ProvisioningState' of 'Failed' in Azure indicates that the VM could not be created or started due to a resource quota limit (e.g., vCPU quota exceeded) or a configuration error (e.g., invalid network interface, unsupported VM size). This state is set by the Azure Resource Manager when the deployment or update operation fails, and it persists until the underlying issue is resolved and the VM is redeployed or reconfigured.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The VM's resource group has been moved to another subscription.
Why it's wrong here
If moved, the VM would not appear in this list.
- ✗
The VM is in a deallocated state.
Why it's wrong here
Deallocated VMs show as 'Deallocated', not 'Failed'.
- ✓
The VM failed to start due to a resource quota limit or configuration error.
Why this is correct
This is the typical reason for a failed provisioning state.
- ✗
The VM was deleted by another administrator.
Why it's wrong here
Deleted VMs would not appear in the list.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.