The correct answer is to assign a managed identity to the Azure AI service and grant it the required RBAC role. This works because managed identity authentication replaces traditional key-based access with an Azure AD-backed identity—either system-assigned or user-assigned—that the AI resource assumes to obtain tokens. You then grant that identity the appropriate role, such as Cognitive Services User, on the target service, which authorizes the token-based API calls without embedding secrets in code. On the AI-102 exam, this concept tests your understanding of passwordless authentication patterns and Azure RBAC integration, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must choose between key vault references, managed identities, or shared access signatures. A common trap is assuming enabling a managed identity alone is sufficient; you must also assign the RBAC role explicitly. Memory tip: think “Identity + Role = No Keys,” meaning you need both the identity assignment and the role grant to eliminate keys from your code.
AI-102 Plan and manage an Azure AI solution Practice Question
This AI-102 practice question tests your understanding of plan and manage an azure ai solution. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your company is deploying an Azure AI solution that uses multiple AI services. You need to ensure that all API calls are authenticated securely using managed identities. Which of the following steps is required to enable managed identity authentication for an Azure AI service?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Assign a managed identity to the Azure AI service and grant it the required RBAC role
Option B is correct because managed identity authentication for Azure AI services requires assigning either a system-assigned or user-assigned managed identity to the resource, and then granting that identity the appropriate RBAC role (e.g., Cognitive Services User) on the target AI service. This eliminates the need for keys or secrets in the code and leverages Azure AD tokens for secure, passwordless authentication.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable system-assigned managed identity at the subscription level
Why it's wrong here
System-assigned managed identity is enabled per resource, not subscription.
✓
Assign a managed identity to the Azure AI service and grant it the required RBAC role
Why this is correct
This enables secure authentication without secrets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store the authentication key in Azure Key Vault and reference it in the application
Why it's wrong here
Managed identity authentication does not require a key vault.
✗
Configure a shared access key in the Azure AI service
Why it's wrong here
Shared keys are not used with managed identities.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse managed identity with key management solutions like Key Vault, or assume that enabling a managed identity at a higher scope (subscription) automatically applies to all resources, when in fact the identity must be explicitly assigned to each resource and granted RBAC permissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Managed identity authentication works by provisioning an Azure AD service principal for the AI service resource, which then obtains OAuth 2.0 access tokens from the Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) endpoint at runtime. These tokens are used in the Authorization header of API calls, and the RBAC role assignment (e.g., Cognitive Services User) controls which operations the identity can perform. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for multi-service pipelines where one AI service (e.g., Azure Cognitive Search) needs to call another (e.g., Azure OpenAI) without exposing keys in connection strings.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Plan and manage an Azure AI solution — This question tests Plan and manage an Azure AI solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Assign a managed identity to the Azure AI service and grant it the required RBAC role — Option B is correct because managed identity authentication for Azure AI services requires assigning either a system-assigned or user-assigned managed identity to the resource, and then granting that identity the appropriate RBAC role (e.g., Cognitive Services User) on the target AI service. This eliminates the need for keys or secrets in the code and leverages Azure AD tokens for secure, passwordless authentication.
What should I do if I get this AI-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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