- A
Use Azure Policy to deny creation of nonapproved VM sizes.
Azure Policy can enforce allowed VM size rules at deployment time, which is exactly what you want for blocking unapproved sizes.
- B
Use Azure RBAC to grant the restart action on the VMs.
RBAC controls what users can do after access is granted, including operational actions like restarting their own virtual machines.
- C
Use Azure Policy to grant restart permission when the VM is compliant.
Why wrong: Policy does not grant operational permissions. It evaluates compliance and can enforce or remediate settings, but it is not an access-control system.
- D
Use a resource lock to approve only specific VM sizes.
Why wrong: Resource locks prevent modification or deletion of resources, but they do not inspect or control which VM sizes can be deployed.
- E
Use tags to enforce the approved VM size list and restart action.
Why wrong: Tags are metadata for organization and reporting. They do not enforce deployment restrictions or grant restart rights.
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 platform team wants to prevent engineers from creating VM sizes that are not approved, but they also need the engineers to be able to restart their own VMs. Which two statements are correct? 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
Use Azure Policy to deny creation of nonapproved VM sizes.
Option A is correct because Azure Policy can enforce organizational standards by denying the creation of non-approved VM sizes through built-in policies like 'Allowed virtual machine SKUs'. This prevents engineers from provisioning unapproved VM sizes at the time of creation, ensuring compliance without blocking other actions. Option B is correct because Azure RBAC allows granular permission assignment, such as granting the 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/restart/action' to engineers, enabling them to restart their own VMs without granting broader management rights.
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.
- ✓
Use Azure Policy to deny creation of nonapproved VM sizes.
Why this is correct
Azure Policy can enforce allowed VM size rules at deployment time, which is exactly what you want for blocking unapproved sizes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use Azure RBAC to grant the restart action on the VMs.
Why this is correct
RBAC controls what users can do after access is granted, including operational actions like restarting their own virtual machines.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Azure Policy to grant restart permission when the VM is compliant.
Why it's wrong here
Policy does not grant operational permissions. It evaluates compliance and can enforce or remediate settings, but it is not an access-control system.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where you need to automatically grant a role (e.g., Contributor) to a VM only when it is compliant with a policy (e.g., has specific tags), you could use Azure Policy with a DeployIfNotExists effect to assign an RBAC role. This would be correct if the question asked for automating role assignment based on compliance.
- ✗
Use a resource lock to approve only specific VM sizes.
Why it's wrong here
Resource locks prevent modification or deletion of resources, but they do not inspect or control which VM sizes can be deployed.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where an administrator wants to prevent accidental deletion or modification of a critical VM, a resource lock (e.g., CanNotDelete) would be the correct solution.
- ✗
Use tags to enforce the approved VM size list and restart action.
Why it's wrong here
Tags are metadata for organization and reporting. They do not enforce deployment restrictions or grant restart rights.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the question asks for a method to categorize VMs by approval status and trigger compliance workflows, tags could be used to mark approved VM sizes, and an automation runbook could restart tagged VMs.
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.
✓Use Azure Policy to deny creation of nonapproved VM sizes.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure Policy can enforce allowed VM size rules at deployment time, which is exactly what you want for blocking unapproved sizes.
✗Use Azure Policy to grant restart permission when the VM is compliant.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Azure Policy cannot grant permissions; it only enforces compliance rules. Granting restart permission is an RBAC function, not a Policy capability.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where you need to automatically grant a role (e.g., Contributor) to a VM only when it is compliant with a policy (e.g., has specific tags), you could use Azure Policy with a DeployIfNotExists effect to assign an RBAC role. This would be correct if the question asked for automating role assignment based on compliance.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse Azure Policy's ability to enforce compliance with granting permissions, or think that Policy can directly assign RBAC roles as part of its effects.
✗Use a resource lock to approve only specific VM sizes.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Resource locks prevent deletion or modification of resources but cannot restrict VM sizes to approved types; they operate at a resource level, not on configuration properties like SKU.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where an administrator wants to prevent accidental deletion or modification of a critical VM, a resource lock (e.g., CanNotDelete) would be the correct solution.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse resource locks with policy enforcement, thinking locks can restrict resource configurations like VM sizes, when locks only protect against deletion or changes.
✗Use tags to enforce the approved VM size list and restart action.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Tags are metadata labels, not security enforcement mechanisms. They cannot enforce approved VM sizes or grant restart permissions; Azure Policy and RBAC are required for those actions.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the question asks for a method to categorize VMs by approval status and trigger compliance workflows, tags could be used to mark approved VM sizes, and an automation runbook could restart tagged VMs.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may overestimate the capabilities of tags, thinking they can be used for access control or policy enforcement, when they are only for organization and automation triggers.
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 confusing Azure Policy (which enforces compliance on resource creation) with Azure RBAC (which controls permissions on existing resources), leading candidates to incorrectly assign policy to grant permissions or RBAC to deny creation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy uses policy definitions with effects like 'Deny' to block non-compliant resource creation at the Azure Resource Manager level, evaluating requests before they are processed. RBAC, on the other hand, uses role definitions containing actions like 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/restart/action' to control existing resource operations. A common real-world scenario is combining Azure Policy to enforce VM size compliance with a custom RBAC role that includes only restart and start actions, ensuring engineers can manage their VMs without violating governance rules.
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: Use Azure Policy to deny creation of nonapproved VM sizes. — Option A is correct because Azure Policy can enforce organizational standards by denying the creation of non-approved VM sizes through built-in policies like 'Allowed virtual machine SKUs'. This prevents engineers from provisioning unapproved VM sizes at the time of creation, ensuring compliance without blocking other actions. Option B is correct because Azure RBAC allows granular permission assignment, such as granting the 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/restart/action' to engineers, enabling them to restart their own VMs without granting broader management rights.
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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