AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
Which Azure RBAC role allows a user to manage all Azure resources but cannot grant access to others?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse Contributor with Owner because both allow full resource management, but they overlook the critical distinction that Owner includes the ability to delegate access via role assignments, which Contributor explicitly blocks.
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
✓
Contributor
The Contributor role in Azure RBAC grants full management access to all Azure resources, including the ability to create, modify, and delete them, but explicitly denies the ability to assign roles to other users. This makes it the correct answer because the question specifies a user who can manage all resources but cannot grant access to others.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Owner
Why it's wrong here
The Owner role grants full control over all resources, including the ability to delegate access by assigning roles to other users. While this role can create and manage resources, it also includes the unwanted capability to grant access, which violates the principle of least privilege. Because the scenario requires only creation and management—without access delegation—Owner is too broad and therefore incorrect.
- ✗
Reader
Why it's wrong here
The Reader role is restricted to viewing existing resources and cannot create, modify, or delete any resources. Since the task explicitly requires the ability to create and manage resources, Reader falls short of the needed permissions. It is incorrect because it lacks the write or management actions required for the scenario.
- ✓
Contributor
Why this is correct
The Contributor role includes all permissions needed to create and manage resources, but deliberately excludes the ability to grant access to other users. This aligns exactly with the requirement to handle resources without managing user permissions, making it the correct minimal privilege. It provides write and delete capabilities while preventing role assignments, which is precisely the intended scope.
- ✗
User Access Administrator
Why it's wrong here
The User Access Administrator role is designed solely for managing user access and role assignments, not for creating or managing Azure resources. While it can delegate permissions, it does not include the resource management actions like creating or deleting resources. Therefore, it fails the core requirement of the scenario and is incorrect for this task.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Azure Cost Management and Billing
Key term
RBAC
RBAC is a method of restricting network access based on the roles of individual users within an organization, where permissions are assigned to roles rather than to individuals directly.
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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