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Question 848 of 999
Design infrastructure solutions →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is that the admin password is in plaintext and does not meet complexity requirements. Azure ARM template deployments enforce password policies for Windows VMs, requiring a complex password that includes uppercase, lowercase, digits, and special characters, or alternatively referencing a secure string from Azure Key Vault. When a password is provided in plaintext within the template and fails to meet these complexity rules, the deployment may succeed at the resource level, but the VM itself will fail to start because the operating system rejects the weak credential during initialization. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Policy and secure parameter handling, often appearing as a trap where candidates overlook password validation in favor of disk or networking issues. A common memory tip is “plaintext fails, Key Vault prevails”—always store secrets in Key Vault and reference them with a secure parameter to avoid startup failures.

AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question

This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.

Exhibit

{
  "parameters": { "vmName": { "value": "prod-vm-001" } },
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
      "apiVersion": "2023-03-01",
      "name": "[parameters('vmName')]",
      "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
      "properties": {
        "hardwareProfile": { "vmSize": "Standard_D2s_v3" },
        "storageProfile": {
          "osDisk": { "createOption": "fromImage", "managedDisk": { "storageAccountType": "Premium_LRS" } },
          "dataDisks": [
            { "createOption": "empty", "diskSizeGB": 1023, "lun": 0, "managedDisk": { "storageAccountType": "StandardSSD_LRS" } }
          ]
        },
        "osProfile": {
          "computerName": "[parameters('vmName')]",
          "adminUsername": "azureuser",
          "adminPassword": "Password123!"
        },
        "networkProfile": {
          "networkInterfaces": [
            { "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', concat(parameters('vmName'), '-nic'))]" }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Refer to the exhibit. The ARM template provisions a VM. The deployment succeeds but the VM fails to start. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "most likely"

    Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

Exhibit

{
  "parameters": { "vmName": { "value": "prod-vm-001" } },
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
      "apiVersion": "2023-03-01",
      "name": "[parameters('vmName')]",
      "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
      "properties": {
        "hardwareProfile": { "vmSize": "Standard_D2s_v3" },
        "storageProfile": {
          "osDisk": { "createOption": "fromImage", "managedDisk": { "storageAccountType": "Premium_LRS" } },
          "dataDisks": [
            { "createOption": "empty", "diskSizeGB": 1023, "lun": 0, "managedDisk": { "storageAccountType": "StandardSSD_LRS" } }
          ]
        },
        "osProfile": {
          "computerName": "[parameters('vmName')]",
          "adminUsername": "azureuser",
          "adminPassword": "Password123!"
        },
        "networkProfile": {
          "networkInterfaces": [
            { "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', concat(parameters('vmName'), '-nic'))]" }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

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

✓

The admin password is in plaintext and does not meet complexity requirements

Option C is correct because the template contains the admin password in plaintext, which violates Azure policy that requires a complex password or use of Key Vault. Option A is wrong because Premium_LRS is supported in most regions. Option B is wrong because StandardSSD_LRS is valid for data disks. Option D is wrong because the NIC reference uses the correct resourceId function.

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.

  • ✓

    The admin password is in plaintext and does not meet complexity requirements

    Why this is correct

    Plaintext password violates Azure policy.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    The data disk size 1023 GB exceeds the maximum for StandardSSD_LRS

    Why it's wrong here

    StandardSSD_LRS supports up to 32 TB.

  • ✗

    The network interface resource ID is incorrectly formatted

    Why it's wrong here

    The ID is correctly generated.

  • ✗

    The VM size Standard_D2s_v3 is not available in the region

    Why it's wrong here

    Size is available in most regions.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

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.
  • Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

  • Underline the problem statement mentally.
  • 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 AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this AZ-305 question test?

Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The admin password is in plaintext and does not meet complexity requirements — Option C is correct because the template contains the admin password in plaintext, which violates Azure policy that requires a complex password or use of Key Vault. Option A is wrong because Premium_LRS is supported in most regions. Option B is wrong because StandardSSD_LRS is valid for data disks. Option D is wrong because the NIC reference uses the correct resourceId function.

What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?

Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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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.