- A
requests | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc
Why wrong: Incorrect. This query lacks a time filter and would return data for the entire retention period, not just the last hour.
- B
requests | summarize avg(duration) by method | sort by method asc
Why wrong: Incorrect. This query lacks a time filter and sorts by method name, not by average duration.
- C
requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc
Correct. Filters to the last hour, summarizes by method with average duration, and orders descending by that average.
- D
requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | sort by method
Why wrong: Incorrect. Correctly filters by time but sorts by method name instead of average duration.
Quick Answer
The correct Kusto query is `requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc`. This works because it follows the logical pipeline of filtering first—using `where` to narrow the dataset to only the last hour—then aggregating with `summarize` to compute the average duration per HTTP method, and finally sorting the results in descending order so the slowest methods appear first. On the AZ-204 exam, this tests your ability to write Application Insights queries for real-time performance monitoring, a common scenario when diagnosing slow endpoints in an Azure web app. A frequent trap is forgetting the time filter or using `sort by` instead of `order by`, but both are functionally identical in Kusto. For a quick memory tip, think "Filter, Group, Sort"—or remember the acronym FGS: first filter your time window, then group by method, then sort the averages.
AZ-204 Practice Question: Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions
This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize azure 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 monitoring an Azure web app using Application Insights. You need to create a query that returns the average duration of requests for each HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.) over the last hour, sorted by duration. Which Kusto query should you use?
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
requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc
Option C is correct because it first filters requests to only those from the last hour using `where timestamp > ago(1h)`, then calculates the average duration grouped by HTTP method with `summarize avg(duration) by method`, and finally orders the results by the computed average duration in descending order using `order by avg_duration desc`. This matches the requirement exactly: last hour, average duration per method, sorted by duration.
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.
- ✗
requests | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. This query lacks a time filter and would return data for the entire retention period, not just the last hour.
- ✗
requests | summarize avg(duration) by method | sort by method asc
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. This query lacks a time filter and sorts by method name, not by average duration.
- ✓
requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc
Why this is correct
Correct. Filters to the last hour, summarizes by method with average duration, and orders descending by that average.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | sort by method
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Correctly filters by time but sorts by method name instead of average duration.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often forget to apply the time filter (`where timestamp > ago(1h)`) or mistakenly sort by the method name instead of the computed average duration, because the question explicitly says 'sorted by duration' but the options include plausible but incorrect sort columns.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `ago(1h)` function in Kusto returns a datetime representing one hour before the current time, and the `where` clause filters the `timestamp` column to include only records within that window. The `summarize` operator groups by the `method` column and computes the average of the `duration` column, producing a new column named `avg_duration` by default (though the alias can be explicit). The `order by` operator then sorts the result set by that computed column; using `desc` ensures the highest average duration appears first, which is typically the desired behavior when analyzing performance bottlenecks by HTTP method.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-204 question test?
Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions — This question tests Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: requests | where timestamp > ago(1h) | summarize avg(duration) by method | order by avg_duration desc — Option C is correct because it first filters requests to only those from the last hour using `where timestamp > ago(1h)`, then calculates the average duration grouped by HTTP method with `summarize avg(duration) by method`, and finally orders the results by the computed average duration in descending order using `order by avg_duration desc`. This matches the requirement exactly: last hour, average duration per method, sorted by duration.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 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-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.
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