- A
Azure Bastion
Why wrong: Azure Bastion provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to VMs directly in the Azure portal. It does not provide time-bound access with approval workflows.
- B
Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Azure resources
PIM for Azure resources enables just-in-time, time-bound access with approval workflows and automatic revocation. It provides full audit trail, meeting all requirements.
- C
Just-in-Time VM access (Microsoft Defender for Cloud)
Why wrong: This feature controls network access by locking down inbound ports until a request is approved. It does not manage identity-based RBAC roles or require manager approval for a specific user.
- D
Microsoft Entra ID Application Proxy
Why wrong: Microsoft Entra ID Application Proxy enables secure remote access to on-premises web applications. It is not used for managing access to Azure VMs.
AZ-305 Practice Question: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: pIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources.. 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 company uses Microsoft Entra ID (Microsoft Entra ID). They need to grant specific IT administrators just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure virtual machines for troubleshooting. The access must be time-bound, require approval from a senior manager, and be automatically revoked after the granted time period. The company also needs an audit log of all access requests and assignments. Which Azure service or feature should they 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
Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Azure resources
Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Azure resources provides just-in-time (JIT) access with time-bound activation, approval workflows, and automatic revocation. It also includes full audit logging of all requests and assignments, meeting all the specified requirements for granting temporary access to Azure VMs.
Key principle: PIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Bastion
Why it's wrong here
Azure Bastion provides secure and seamless RDP/SSH connectivity to VMs directly in the Azure portal. It does not provide time-bound access with approval workflows.
- ✓
Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Azure resources
Why this is correct
PIM for Azure resources enables just-in-time, time-bound access with approval workflows and automatic revocation. It provides full audit trail, meeting all requirements.
Related concept
PIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources.
- ✗
Just-in-Time VM access (Microsoft Defender for Cloud)
Why it's wrong here
This feature controls network access by locking down inbound ports until a request is approved. It does not manage identity-based RBAC roles or require manager approval for a specific user.
- ✗
Microsoft Entra ID Application Proxy
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Entra ID Application Proxy enables secure remote access to on-premises web applications. It is not used for managing access to Azure VMs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Just-in-Time VM access in Microsoft Defender for Cloud (which is network-level JIT) with PIM for Azure resources (which is role-level JIT), but only PIM supports the required approval workflow and audit logging for role assignments.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
PIM for Azure resources works by activating eligible role assignments (e.g., Virtual Machine Contributor) for a specified duration (default 1 hour, configurable up to 8 hours) after approval from designated approvers. The activation triggers an audit event in the Microsoft Entra ID audit log, and the role is automatically deactivated when the duration expires, ensuring zero standing access. This contrasts with Defender for Cloud's JIT VM access, which only modifies network security group (NSG) rules to allow inbound traffic on specific ports (e.g., 3389, 22) for a set time, without any role-based elevation or approval workflow.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- PIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources.
- PIM supports approval workflows for role activation, including manager approval.
- Access granted via PIM is time-bound and automatically revoked.
- PIM provides a comprehensive audit trail of all privileged access activities.
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
PIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review pIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — This question tests Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — PIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Azure resources — Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Azure resources provides just-in-time (JIT) access with time-bound activation, approval workflows, and automatic revocation. It also includes full audit logging of all requests and assignments, meeting all the specified requirements for granting temporary access to Azure VMs.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review pIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
PIM enables just-in-time (JIT) access to Azure resources.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-305 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-305 exam.
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