- A
A Reader assignment at the parent resource group, subscription, or management group scope can still be inherited by the VM.
RBAC inheritance flows downward from management group to subscription to resource group to resource. A broader-scope Reader assignment would still allow the user to view the VM even after the direct VM-level assignment was removed. This is the most common reason access appears to persist.
- B
Membership in an Entra security group that has Reader at an inherited scope can still provide visibility to the VM.
Role assignments can be granted to groups, and users inherit the permissions of their group memberships. If the security group has Reader at the subscription or resource-group scope, the user will still be able to view the VM. This often surprises administrators who check only direct assignments.
- C
A CanNotDelete lock on the VM is granting the user permission to view it.
Why wrong: Locks do not grant access; they only restrict certain actions on already authorized users. A CanNotDelete lock would not create read visibility or replace RBAC. This option confuses protection controls with authorization controls.
- D
An Azure Policy assignment that audits the VM is granting read access through compliance evaluation.
Why wrong: Policy can evaluate or deny conditions, but it does not grant RBAC permissions for users to open resource blades. Audit effects generate compliance data, not access rights. This distractor mixes enforcement with authorization.
- E
A private endpoint connected to the VM subnet is providing inherited read permission through networking.
Why wrong: Private endpoints affect network reachability for supported services; they do not authorize Azure portal access to compute resources. A VM blade being visible is an RBAC issue, not a private networking issue. The option is unrelated to the symptom.
AZ-104 Manage Azure Identities and Governance Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of manage azure identities and governance. 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.
A user had a direct Reader assignment on a virtual machine, but that assignment was removed. The user can still open the VM blade and view its properties. Which two sources could still be granting access? Select two.
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
A Reader assignment at the parent resource group, subscription, or management group scope can still be inherited by the VM.
Option A is correct because Azure RBAC permissions are inherited from higher scopes. Even if a direct Reader assignment on the VM is removed, a Reader role assigned at the parent resource group, subscription, or management group scope will still grant the user read access to the VM through inheritance. This is a fundamental behavior of Azure RBAC, where permissions flow down the hierarchy.
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.
- ✓
A Reader assignment at the parent resource group, subscription, or management group scope can still be inherited by the VM.
Why this is correct
RBAC inheritance flows downward from management group to subscription to resource group to resource. A broader-scope Reader assignment would still allow the user to view the VM even after the direct VM-level assignment was removed. This is the most common reason access appears to persist.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Membership in an Entra security group that has Reader at an inherited scope can still provide visibility to the VM.
Why this is correct
Role assignments can be granted to groups, and users inherit the permissions of their group memberships. If the security group has Reader at the subscription or resource-group scope, the user will still be able to view the VM. This often surprises administrators who check only direct assignments.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A CanNotDelete lock on the VM is granting the user permission to view it.
Why it's wrong here
Locks do not grant access; they only restrict certain actions on already authorized users. A CanNotDelete lock would not create read visibility or replace RBAC. This option confuses protection controls with authorization controls.
- ✗
An Azure Policy assignment that audits the VM is granting read access through compliance evaluation.
Why it's wrong here
Policy can evaluate or deny conditions, but it does not grant RBAC permissions for users to open resource blades. Audit effects generate compliance data, not access rights. This distractor mixes enforcement with authorization.
- ✗
A private endpoint connected to the VM subnet is providing inherited read permission through networking.
Why it's wrong here
Private endpoints affect network reachability for supported services; they do not authorize Azure portal access to compute resources. A VM blade being visible is an RBAC issue, not a private networking issue. The option is unrelated to the symptom.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse resource locks (like CanNotDelete) with RBAC permissions, or think that Azure Policy or networking constructs (like private endpoints) can grant access, when in fact only role assignments (direct or inherited) control access to Azure resources.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
Locks do not grant access; they only restrict certain actions on already authorized users. A CanNotDelete lock would not create read visibility or replace RBAC. This option confuses protection controls with authorization controls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure RBAC uses a hierarchical scope model: management group → subscription → resource group → resource. Permissions assigned at a higher scope are inherited by all child resources unless explicitly blocked by a deny assignment. This inheritance is evaluated at runtime by the Azure Resource Manager, which checks all role assignments along the hierarchy. A common real-world scenario is a user who still has access to a VM after a direct assignment is removed because they are a member of a security group that has a Reader role at the subscription level.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Manage Azure Identities and Governance — This question tests Manage Azure Identities and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A Reader assignment at the parent resource group, subscription, or management group scope can still be inherited by the VM. — Option A is correct because Azure RBAC permissions are inherited from higher scopes. Even if a direct Reader assignment on the VM is removed, a Reader role assigned at the parent resource group, subscription, or management group scope will still grant the user read access to the VM through inheritance. This is a fundamental behavior of Azure RBAC, where permissions flow down the hierarchy.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-104 exam.
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