- A
Assign an allowed-locations policy at the management group or subscription scope.
Location is a resource property that policy can evaluate and deny, while RBAC cannot inspect deployment metadata like region.
- B
Create a custom RBAC role that blocks resources deployed outside approved regions.
Why wrong: RBAC authorizes actions, but it cannot conditionally deny based on a resource property such as region.
- C
Assign a policy that enforces the Environment tag on new resources.
Tag enforcement is a classic Azure Policy use case, especially with deny, append, or modify effects.
- D
Add a CanNotDelete lock to every resource group.
Why wrong: Locks prevent deletion or writes, but they do not validate required tags or allowed locations.
- E
Grant User Access Administrator to the deployment team.
Why wrong: This only changes authorization capabilities and does not enforce deployment compliance rules.
When to Use Azure Policy Instead of RBAC
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 subscription already grants Contributor to an application team. The organization wants to prevent deployments in unsupported Azure regions and ensure every new resource has an Environment tag. Which two controls should be implemented with Azure Policy rather than RBAC? 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
Assign an allowed-locations policy at the management group or subscription scope.
Option A is correct because Azure Policy can enforce an 'allowed-locations' policy at the management group or subscription scope to restrict resource deployment to only approved Azure regions. This is a governance control that operates declaratively, evaluating resource properties against policy rules before or after creation, unlike RBAC which controls identity-based permissions. Option C is correct because Azure Policy can enforce the 'Environment' tag on new resources using a 'require a tag and its value' policy, ensuring compliance without modifying role assignments.
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 allowed-locations policy at the management group or subscription scope.
Why this is correct
Location is a resource property that policy can evaluate and deny, while RBAC cannot inspect deployment metadata like region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a custom RBAC role that blocks resources deployed outside approved regions.
Why it's wrong here
RBAC authorizes actions, but it cannot conditionally deny based on a resource property such as region.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the organization wants to restrict deployment actions for a specific team (e.g., deny create/update operations on resources outside approved regions) and the solution must use role-based access control, not policy. For example: 'You need to prevent a specific user group from deploying resources in unapproved regions using a custom role.'
- ✓
Assign a policy that enforces the Environment tag on new resources.
Why this is correct
Tag enforcement is a classic Azure Policy use case, especially with deny, append, or modify effects.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Add a CanNotDelete lock to every resource group.
Why it's wrong here
Locks prevent deletion or writes, but they do not validate required tags or allowed locations.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the organization wants to prevent accidental deletion of critical resources, such as production databases, a CanNotDelete lock should be applied at the resource group level to protect against deletion by users with Contributor permissions.
- ✗
Grant User Access Administrator to the deployment team.
Why it's wrong here
This only changes authorization capabilities and does not enforce deployment compliance rules.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a team needs to manage role assignments for other users (e.g., delegate role administration) but should not have full access to resources, User Access Administrator 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 allowed-locations policy at the management group or subscription scope.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Location is a resource property that policy can evaluate and deny, while RBAC cannot inspect deployment metadata like region.
✗Create a custom RBAC role that blocks resources deployed outside approved regions.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure Policy, not RBAC, is the correct tool to enforce allowed locations. A custom RBAC role can deny deployment actions, but it cannot prevent resource creation by other services or at the subscription level, and it doesn't integrate with Azure Policy's compliance reporting.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the organization wants to restrict deployment actions for a specific team (e.g., deny create/update operations on resources outside approved regions) and the solution must use role-based access control, not policy. For example: 'You need to prevent a specific user group from deploying resources in unapproved regions using a custom role.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think RBAC can enforce location restrictions because RBAC controls permissions, and a custom role can deny actions. They might overlook that Azure Policy is designed for such guardrails and provides broader enforcement and compliance features.
✗Add a CanNotDelete lock to every resource group.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
CanNotDelete locks prevent resource deletion but do not restrict deployments to approved regions or enforce tagging, which are the specific requirements in the question.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the organization wants to prevent accidental deletion of critical resources, such as production databases, a CanNotDelete lock should be applied at the resource group level to protect against deletion by users with Contributor permissions.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse resource locks with policy controls, thinking that locks can restrict deployments or enforce compliance, when locks only protect against deletion or modification.
✗Grant User Access Administrator to the deployment team.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Granting User Access Administrator allows the team to manage role assignments, which is not needed for preventing deployments in unsupported regions or enforcing tags; Azure Policy handles these controls declaratively without granting additional RBAC permissions.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a team needs to manage role assignments for other users (e.g., delegate role administration) but should not have full access to resources, User Access Administrator would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that controlling deployments requires administrative permissions, and User Access Administrator seems powerful enough to enforce restrictions, but they overlook that Azure Policy provides governance without granting elevated RBAC roles.
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 often confuse RBAC (identity-based permissions) with Azure Policy (resource property enforcement), mistakenly thinking a custom RBAC role can restrict regions or tags, when in fact RBAC only controls actions like 'write' or 'delete' and cannot evaluate resource properties like location or tags.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy uses a JSON-based policy definition with 'if-then' logic (e.g., 'if resource location not in allowed list, then deny') evaluated by the Azure Resource Manager during PUT requests. The 'allowed-locations' policy leverages the 'Microsoft.Authorization/policyDefinitions' resource type and can be assigned at management group, subscription, or resource group scope, with an optional 'audit' effect for non-compliance reporting. Tag enforcement policies use the 'addOrReplace' effect to automatically apply missing tags during deployment, ensuring resources are compliant without manual intervention.
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 allowed-locations policy at the management group or subscription scope. — Option A is correct because Azure Policy can enforce an 'allowed-locations' policy at the management group or subscription scope to restrict resource deployment to only approved Azure regions. This is a governance control that operates declaratively, evaluating resource properties against policy rules before or after creation, unlike RBAC which controls identity-based permissions. Option C is correct because Azure Policy can enforce the 'Environment' tag on new resources using a 'require a tag and its value' policy, ensuring compliance without modifying role assignments.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on AZ-104
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A developer already has permission to create resource groups. The company wants to allow deployments only in the East US and West US regions. Which service should enforce this rule?
easy- A.Azure RBAC, because region selection is part of user permissions.
- ✓ B.Azure Policy, because it can restrict which regions are allowed for deployments.
- C.A network security group, because it can block unsupported regions.
- D.A read-only lock, because it limits changes to approved regions.
Why B: Azure Policy is the correct service because it enforces organizational rules by evaluating resource configurations against policy definitions. In this scenario, a built-in or custom policy can restrict allowed regions for all resources, ensuring deployments only occur in East US and West US. Unlike RBAC, which controls who can perform actions, Azure Policy controls what resource configurations are permitted, making it the appropriate tool for region restriction.
Variation 2. A team can already deploy virtual machines, but they want to prevent users from creating VMs unless the deployment includes an approved tag. They also want to see which existing resources do not meet the rule. What should the administrator use?
medium- A.A custom RBAC role that removes the create action for virtual machines.
- ✓ B.An Azure Policy assignment with a deny or audit effect for the tag requirement.
- C.A resource lock on the resource group.
- D.An Entra ID dynamic group for the VM creators.
Why B: Azure Policy with a 'deny' effect prevents creation of VMs that lack the required tag, while the 'audit' effect identifies non-compliant existing resources without blocking them. This directly addresses both requirements: enforcing the tag on new deployments and discovering which existing resources violate the rule.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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