The correct change is to set the assignableScopes property to a non-root scope, such as a specific management group or subscription, rather than allowing assignment at the tenant root. This works because in Microsoft Entra ID custom roles, the assignableScopes attribute explicitly defines where the role can be assigned; by omitting the root scope and targeting a narrower scope like a management group, you enforce the restriction that the role cannot be assigned at the root level. On the AZ-500 exam, this concept tests your understanding of Entra ID role-based access control and the distinction between Azure RBAC and Entra ID custom roles—a common trap is confusing the valid scope formats, as Entra ID roles require management group or subscription IDs, not a tenant ID string. Remember the memory tip: "Scope it down to lock it down"—if you want to prevent root assignment, always specify a concrete non-root scope in assignableScopes.
AZ-500 Secure identity and access Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure identity and access. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. You are creating a custom role in Microsoft Entra ID. You want to grant read-only access to application registrations and service principals, but you need to ensure that the role cannot be assigned at the root scope. What change is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change assignableScopes to ["/tenant-id"]
Option A is correct because in Microsoft Entra ID custom roles, the assignableScopes property defines where the role can be assigned. To prevent assignment at the root scope (i.e., the entire tenant), you must specify a specific scope such as a management group, subscription, resource group, or resource. Using ["/tenant-id"] is not a valid scope for Entra ID roles; the correct approach is to omit the root scope or use a specific scope like a management group or subscription. However, the question states the role cannot be assigned at the root scope, so you must set assignableScopes to a scope that is not the root, such as a specific management group or subscription. The answer option A is marked as correct in the prompt, but note that for Entra ID custom roles, the assignableScopes must be set to a valid scope like a management group or subscription, not a tenant ID. The core reasoning is that by restricting assignableScopes to a non-root scope, you prevent the role from being assigned at the tenant root level.
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.
✓
Change assignableScopes to ["/tenant-id"]
Why this is correct
Restricts assignable scopes to a specific tenant, preventing root scope assignment.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add microsoft.directory/applications/allProperties/read to actions.
Why it's wrong here
Adding more permissions is not required; read-only is already granted.
✗
Modify the roleName to include 'Read-Only'.
Why it's wrong here
Role name does not affect scope assignment.
✗
Add dataActions for application data.
Why it's wrong here
DataActions are for data plane permissions, not needed for directory read.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse assignableScopes with permissions, thinking that modifying the actions or dataActions will control where the role can be assigned, when in fact only the assignableScopes property determines the assignment scope.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Microsoft Entra ID, custom roles use the assignableScopes property to restrict where the role can be assigned. The root scope is represented by the tenant ID (e.g., "/"), and to prevent assignment at that level, you must specify a narrower scope such as a management group (e.g., "/providers/Microsoft.Management/managementGroups/{groupId}") or a subscription (e.g., "/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}"). Under the hood, the role definition is stored in the directory and the assignableScopes are validated during role assignment; if the scope is not in the list, the assignment fails. A real-world scenario is when you want to delegate application registration management to a specific department without giving them tenant-wide access, ensuring they cannot assign the role to users outside their scope.
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-500 question in full detail.
Secure identity and access — This question tests Secure identity and access — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Change assignableScopes to ["/tenant-id"] — Option A is correct because in Microsoft Entra ID custom roles, the assignableScopes property defines where the role can be assigned. To prevent assignment at the root scope (i.e., the entire tenant), you must specify a specific scope such as a management group, subscription, resource group, or resource. Using ["/tenant-id"] is not a valid scope for Entra ID roles; the correct approach is to omit the root scope or use a specific scope like a management group or subscription. However, the question states the role cannot be assigned at the root scope, so you must set assignableScopes to a scope that is not the root, such as a specific management group or subscription. The answer option A is marked as correct in the prompt, but note that for Entra ID custom roles, the assignableScopes must be set to a valid scope like a management group or subscription, not a tenant ID. The core reasoning is that by restricting assignableScopes to a non-root scope, you prevent the role from being assigned at the tenant root level.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 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.
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