- A
Deny
Correct. The Deny effect blocks resource creation or update if the policy condition is not met, which is exactly what is needed to prevent deployment of non-approved VM sizes.
- B
Append
Why wrong: Incorrect. The Append effect adds additional fields (such as tags) to a resource during creation or update, but it does not block the creation of a resource that violates the policy. It would not reject a VM with a wrong SKU.
- C
Audit
Why wrong: Incorrect. The Audit effect creates a compliance event in the activity log when a non-compliant resource is created or updated, but it allows the deployment to succeed. Since the requirement is to block the deployment entirely, Audit does not meet the need.
- D
DeployIfNotExists
Why wrong: Incorrect. The DeployIfNotExists effect is used to deploy a resource (e.g., a monitoring agent) to a virtual machine that does not have it. It does not block the creation of the VM itself, and thus cannot prevent a non-approved SKU from being deployed.
Quick Answer
The answer is the Deny effect. This is the correct choice because the Deny effect actively blocks resource creation when a request violates a policy rule, such as attempting to deploy a virtual machine with a non-compliant SKU like 'Standard_D2s_v3' instead of the allowed 'Standard_DS2_v2'. Technically, the Deny effect evaluates the resource request against the policy definition before the resource is provisioned; if the condition is not met, the request is immediately rejected with an error, and no resource is created. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Azure Policy effects enforce governance, and a common trap is confusing Deny with Audit or Disabled—remember that only Deny prevents deployment outright. For a quick memory tip, think of Deny as the "bouncer" that stops non-compliant resources at the door, ensuring only approved SKUs get through.
AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure management and governance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A company wants to enforce a governance policy that only allows virtual machines of the SKU 'Standard_DS2_v2' to be deployed in their Azure subscription. If a user attempts to create a virtual machine with a different SKU (e.g., 'Standard_D2s_v3'), the deployment must be immediately rejected with an error, and the resource must not be created. Which Azure Policy effect should the team use to implement this requirement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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
Deny
The Deny effect is the correct choice because it actively prevents the creation or deployment of resources that do not comply with the policy rule. In this scenario, when a user attempts to deploy a virtual machine with a SKU other than 'Standard_DS2_v2', the Deny effect immediately rejects the request and blocks the resource from being created, ensuring the governance policy is enforced without exception.
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.
- ✓
Deny
Why this is correct
Correct. The Deny effect blocks resource creation or update if the policy condition is not met, which is exactly what is needed to prevent deployment of non-approved VM sizes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Append
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The Append effect adds additional fields (such as tags) to a resource during creation or update, but it does not block the creation of a resource that violates the policy. It would not reject a VM with a wrong SKU.
- ✗
Audit
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The Audit effect creates a compliance event in the activity log when a non-compliant resource is created or updated, but it allows the deployment to succeed. Since the requirement is to block the deployment entirely, Audit does not meet the need.
- ✗
DeployIfNotExists
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The DeployIfNotExists effect is used to deploy a resource (e.g., a monitoring agent) to a virtual machine that does not have it. It does not block the creation of the VM itself, and thus cannot prevent a non-approved SKU from being deployed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Deny effect with Audit, thinking Audit can block deployments, but Audit only logs non-compliance without preventing resource creation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy effects are evaluated during the resource creation or update request before the resource provider processes it. The Deny effect uses a pre-emptive denial mechanism that returns an HTTP 403 (Forbidden) status code to the caller, ensuring the resource is never created. This is critical in scenarios like cost control or security compliance, where even a temporary non-compliant resource could incur charges or introduce vulnerabilities.
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
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Describe Azure management and governance — This question tests Describe Azure management and governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deny — The Deny effect is the correct choice because it actively prevents the creation or deployment of resources that do not comply with the policy rule. In this scenario, when a user attempts to deploy a virtual machine with a SKU other than 'Standard_DS2_v2', the Deny effect immediately rejects the request and blocks the resource from being created, ensuring the governance policy is enforced without exception.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 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: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-900 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-900 exam.
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