- A
Assign an Azure Policy with an allowed virtual machine size rule and the Deny effect at the subscription scope.
Azure Policy is designed to enforce configuration rules such as allowed regions or allowed VM sizes. The Deny effect blocks noncompliant deployments even when the user has Contributor permissions, because policy enforcement is separate from RBAC authorization.
- B
Create a custom RBAC role that excludes unsupported VM sizes from the Contributor role.
Why wrong: RBAC roles control what actions a user can perform, but they do not evaluate deployment properties such as SKU size. You cannot use RBAC alone to restrict a VM size list.
- C
Apply a CanNotDelete lock to the resource group that contains the virtual machines.
Why wrong: A CanNotDelete lock prevents deletion, not deployment of disallowed sizes. It would not stop an administrator from creating a VM with an unsupported SKU.
- D
Assign Reader permissions to the operators and rely on Azure portal validation.
Why wrong: Reader removes management rights entirely, which is far beyond the requirement. It also does not represent an enforceable policy-based control for approved VM sizes.
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.
The platform team wants to block deployment of virtual machines that use any size except a small approved list. Operators already have Contributor access and should keep that access for other tasks. Which Azure control should the administrator use to enforce the size restriction?
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
Assign an Azure Policy with an allowed virtual machine size rule and the Deny effect at the subscription scope.
Azure Policy with the 'allowed virtual machine sizes' built-in policy and the Deny effect is the correct control because it enforces a deny action at the resource creation or update level, preventing any VM deployment that does not match the approved size list. This works independently of RBAC permissions, so operators retain their Contributor role for other tasks while the policy blocks non-compliant VM sizes. The policy is assigned at the subscription scope to cover all resource groups, ensuring consistent enforcement across the environment.
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.
- ✓
Assign an Azure Policy with an allowed virtual machine size rule and the Deny effect at the subscription scope.
Why this is correct
Azure Policy is designed to enforce configuration rules such as allowed regions or allowed VM sizes. The Deny effect blocks noncompliant deployments even when the user has Contributor permissions, because policy enforcement is separate from RBAC authorization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a custom RBAC role that excludes unsupported VM sizes from the Contributor role.
Why it's wrong here
RBAC roles control what actions a user can perform, but they do not evaluate deployment properties such as SKU size. You cannot use RBAC alone to restrict a VM size list.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question required restricting operators from deploying any VMs at all (e.g., deny the write action for VM resources) while still allowing other Contributor tasks. A custom RBAC role with explicit 'NotActions' for VM write permissions would achieve that.
- ✗
Apply a CanNotDelete lock to the resource group that contains the virtual machines.
Why it's wrong here
A CanNotDelete lock prevents deletion, not deployment of disallowed sizes. It would not stop an administrator from creating a VM with an unsupported SKU.
When this WOULD be correct
A CanNotDelete lock would be correct if the question asked: 'The administrator needs to prevent accidental deletion of a critical resource group containing production VMs, while still allowing operators to modify resources within it.'
- ✗
Assign Reader permissions to the operators and rely on Azure portal validation.
Why it's wrong here
Reader removes management rights entirely, which is far beyond the requirement. It also does not represent an enforceable policy-based control for approved VM sizes.
When this WOULD be correct
If the requirement was to prevent accidental modifications to existing VMs while allowing read access, and the operators only need to view resources, assigning Reader permissions would be correct.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Assign an Azure Policy with an allowed virtual machine size rule and the Deny effect at the subscription scope.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure Policy is designed to enforce configuration rules such as allowed regions or allowed VM sizes. The Deny effect blocks noncompliant deployments even when the user has Contributor permissions, because policy enforcement is separate from RBAC authorization.
✗Create a custom RBAC role that excludes unsupported VM sizes from the Contributor role.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RBAC roles control permissions to perform actions, not resource configurations. A custom role cannot restrict specific VM sizes because RBAC does not evaluate resource properties like size; it only grants or denies actions such as 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/write'.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question required restricting operators from deploying any VMs at all (e.g., deny the write action for VM resources) while still allowing other Contributor tasks. A custom RBAC role with explicit 'NotActions' for VM write permissions would achieve that.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think RBAC can filter by resource properties because they confuse Azure Policy (which evaluates resource configurations) with RBAC (which controls access). The similarity in names and the concept of 'restricting' leads to this misconception.
✗Apply a CanNotDelete lock to the resource group that contains the virtual machines.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A CanNotDelete lock prevents deletion of resources but does not restrict which VM sizes can be deployed. The question requires blocking deployment of non-approved VM sizes, which is a configuration enforcement, not a deletion prevention.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A CanNotDelete lock would be correct if the question asked: 'The administrator needs to prevent accidental deletion of a critical resource group containing production VMs, while still allowing operators to modify resources within it.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse resource locks with policy enforcement, thinking that locking a resource group can also prevent changes like deploying unauthorized VM sizes, when locks only affect deletion or modification of existing resources.
✗Assign Reader permissions to the operators and rely on Azure portal validation.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Reader permissions prevent operators from deploying any resources, and Azure portal validation only warns but does not block unsupported VM sizes. This does not enforce the restriction.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the requirement was to prevent accidental modifications to existing VMs while allowing read access, and the operators only need to view resources, assigning Reader permissions would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that portal validation provides enforcement, but it is only a client-side check that can be bypassed via CLI or API.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Azure Policy (which controls resource properties) with RBAC (which controls who can perform actions), leading them to incorrectly choose a custom RBAC role when the requirement is to restrict a specific configuration, not the action itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy uses a policy definition with a JSON rule that evaluates the 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/sku.name' property against an allowed list, and the Deny effect triggers an HTTP 403 Forbidden response during the PUT request to the Azure Resource Manager API before the resource is created. This is enforced at the control plane level, meaning even if an operator uses Azure CLI, PowerShell, or REST API, the policy intercepts the request. In a real-world scenario, you can combine this with an audit effect to log non-compliant attempts without blocking, useful for testing before switching to Deny.
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.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
What to study next
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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: Assign an Azure Policy with an allowed virtual machine size rule and the Deny effect at the subscription scope. — Azure Policy with the 'allowed virtual machine sizes' built-in policy and the Deny effect is the correct control because it enforces a deny action at the resource creation or update level, preventing any VM deployment that does not match the approved size list. This works independently of RBAC permissions, so operators retain their Contributor role for other tasks while the policy blocks non-compliant VM sizes. The policy is assigned at the subscription scope to cover all resource groups, ensuring consistent enforcement across the environment.
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
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