Quick Answer
The correct answer is 0 0 * * * *. This cron expression format is required because Azure Functions timer triggers use a six-field structure—second, minute, hour, day, month, and day-of-week—so setting both second and minute to 0 with an asterisk for hour ensures the function fires precisely at the start of every hour, while the remaining asterisks cover every day, month, and weekday. On the AZ-204 exam, this tests your understanding of scheduling background jobs with serverless compute, and a common trap is confusing the five-field Linux cron format with Azure’s six-field version, which includes seconds as the first field. To remember the order, think “Sixty Minutes Hourly”—the first two zeros represent sixty seconds and sixty minutes, then the asterisk for every hour.
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of develop azure compute solutions. 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.
You are developing a background job that runs every hour to process data. You choose Azure Functions with a timer trigger. What is the correct format for the cron expression to run at the start of every hour?
0 * * * * *
Why wrong: Runs every minute.
* 0 * * * *
Why wrong: Runs every second when minute is 0.
0 0 * * * *
Runs at the start of every hour.
0 0 0 * * *
Why wrong: Runs at midnight every day.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
0 0 * * * *
In Azure Functions timer triggers, the cron expression uses six fields: {second} {minute} {hour} {day} {month} {day-of-week}. To run at the start of every hour (i.e., at minute 0 and second 0 of every hour), the expression must be '0 0 * * * *'. Option C correctly sets second to 0, minute to 0, and hour to '*' (every hour), with the remaining fields as '*' (every day, every month, every day-of-week).
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
0 * * * * *
Why it's wrong here
Runs every minute.
* 0 * * * *
Why it's wrong here
Runs every second when minute is 0.
0 0 * * * *
Why this is correct
Runs at the start of every hour.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
0 0 0 * * *
Why it's wrong here
Runs at midnight every day.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the six-field Azure Functions cron format with the standard five-field UNIX cron format, leading them to pick '0 * * * * *' (which runs every minute) or '* 0 * * * *' (which runs every second during minute 0).
Detailed technical explanation
Azure Functions timer triggers use the NCronTab library, which extends the standard UNIX cron format by adding a sixth field for seconds. The six-field format is mandatory; omitting the seconds field or using a five-field expression will cause a runtime error. In real-world scenarios, if you need to run a job at a specific offset (e.g., 5 minutes past the hour), you would use '0 5 * * * *'.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Develop Azure compute solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Develop Azure compute solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All AZ-204 questions
997 questions across all exam domains
Microsoft Azure Developer Associate AZ-204 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
AZ-204 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to Develop Azure compute solutions.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to Develop for Azure storage.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to Implement Azure security.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to AZ-204 fundamentals.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to AZ-204 scenario.
Practise AZ-204 questions linked to AZ-204 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Develop Azure compute solutions — This question tests Develop Azure compute solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 0 0 * * * * — In Azure Functions timer triggers, the cron expression uses six fields: {second} {minute} {hour} {day} {month} {day-of-week}. To run at the start of every hour (i.e., at minute 0 and second 0 of every hour), the expression must be '0 0 * * * *'. Option C correctly sets second to 0, minute to 0, and hour to '*' (every hour), with the remaining fields as '*' (every day, every month, every day-of-week).
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This AZ-204 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-204 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.