The answer is a deny assignment that prevents VM creation. This is correct because Azure RBAC deny assignments explicitly block specific actions, overriding any allow assignments like Contributor, even at the same or higher scope. Since other users with the same role can create VMs, John’s role assignment is not the problem; instead, a deny assignment at the management group, subscription, or resource group level is blocking his VM creation. On the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between allow and deny assignments in troubleshooting access issues—a common trap is assuming the role itself is misconfigured when the real culprit is an invisible deny rule. Remember the memory tip: “Allow gives, deny takes—always check the deny first when one user is blocked but others are not.”
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. 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 troubleshooting access for a user named John Doe. The exhibit shows the output of Get-AzRoleAssignment. John reports he cannot create virtual machines in the Prod resource group. Other users with the same role can create VMs. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
John has a deny assignment that prevents VM creation
The correct answer is C because Azure RBAC supports deny assignments that explicitly block specific actions even if the user has an allow assignment like Contributor. Since other users with the same role can create VMs, John's role assignment is not the issue; a deny assignment at a higher scope (e.g., management group or subscription) or directly on the resource group is overriding the allow, preventing VM creation. This is a common troubleshooting scenario where a deny assignment is the root cause.
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.
✗
John does not have multi-factor authentication enabled
Why it's wrong here
MFA is not required for the Contributor role; it would be enforced by Conditional Access, not RBAC.
✗
John is not assigned the Contributor role
Why it's wrong here
The output shows he is assigned the Contributor role.
✓
John has a deny assignment that prevents VM creation
Why this is correct
A deny assignment can override the Contributor role, preventing VM creation even though he has the role.
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 role assignment is at the wrong scope
Why it's wrong here
The scope is the Prod resource group, which is correct for creating VMs in that group.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume the issue is a missing or misconfigured role assignment (like Contributor), but the question explicitly states other users with the same role succeed, pointing to a deny assignment as the only logical explanation for a user-specific block.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The output shows he is assigned the Contributor role.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Deny assignments in Azure RBAC are created through Azure Blueprints, Azure Policy (e.g., 'NotActions' or 'DataActions' with deny effect), or custom deny assignments via the REST API or PowerShell. They are evaluated after allow assignments, meaning a deny always overrides an allow, even if the allow is at a higher scope. In practice, a deny assignment can be applied to a specific user, group, or service principal, which explains why only John is blocked while others with the same role are not.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — This question tests Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: John has a deny assignment that prevents VM creation — The correct answer is C because Azure RBAC supports deny assignments that explicitly block specific actions even if the user has an allow assignment like Contributor. Since other users with the same role can create VMs, John's role assignment is not the issue; a deny assignment at a higher scope (e.g., management group or subscription) or directly on the resource group is overriding the allow, preventing VM creation. This is a common troubleshooting scenario where a deny assignment is the root cause.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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