AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
A company has created an Azure Blueprint to define a standard environment with role assignments and policies. They have published multiple versions. They want all existing subscriptions that were created from an older version to automatically receive the updates from the latest version. What should they do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume blueprint updates are automatically applied to existing subscriptions (like a linked template), but Azure Blueprints require an explicit upgrade action to propagate changes, similar to how Azure Policy assignments must be updated separately.
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
✓
Upgrade the blueprint assignment on the existing subscriptions
Azure Blueprints allow you to update assignments on existing subscriptions to the latest published version. When you upgrade the blueprint assignment, it applies any new role assignments, policies, or artifacts defined in the newer version to the target subscriptions, ensuring they remain compliant with the updated standard environment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a new subscription from the latest blueprint version
Why it's wrong here
Creating a new subscription from the latest blueprint version provisions a fresh subscription with the blueprint applied, but it has no effect on the subscriptions that already exist. The question is about updating the standard environment in the current subscriptions, not expanding to new ones. Therefore, this approach fails to remediate or update any of the existing subscriptions.
When this WOULD be correct
When the requirement is to provision a new subscription that complies with the latest standards, such as onboarding a new business unit that must follow current policies and role assignments.
- ✓
Upgrade the blueprint assignment on the existing subscriptions
Why this is correct
Upgrading the blueprint assignment is the correct action because an existing subscription's assignment is bound to the specific published version it was created with. When you publish a new version, it does not affect existing assignments. An upgrade updates that assignment to the latest version, causing Azure Blueprints to reapply the blueprint's artifacts (policies, role assignments, resource groups, ARM templates) to align the subscription with the new standard.
- ✗
Reassign the blueprint to the subscriptions
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning the same blueprint to a subscription that already has an assignment would create a duplicate assignment because Azure Blueprints does not overwrite an existing assignment when you assign again. This results in two assignments with separate identities and potential conflicting artifact deployments. The intended action is to upgrade the existing assignment, not to create a new one.
When this WOULD be correct
If a subscription was never assigned a blueprint, or if the assignment was deleted and needs to be re-established, reassigning the blueprint (from any version) would be the correct action to apply the blueprint's settings.
- ✗
Nothing, updates apply automatically
Why it's wrong here
Azure Blueprint assignments are not automatically updated when a newer version of a blueprint definition is published. The assignment remains tied to the version it was originally deployed with, preserving immutability and preventing unintended changes. To apply updates, you must explicitly perform an upgrade on each existing assignment.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that the blueprint was published with auto-update enabled (which is not a real feature) or that the subscriptions were linked to the blueprint via a management group with inheritance, then updates might apply automatically. However, Azure Blueprints require manual upgrade of assignments.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Upgrade the blueprint assignment on the existing subscriptionsCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Upgrading the blueprint assignment is the correct action because an existing subscription's assignment is bound to the specific published version it was created with. When you publish a new version, it does not affect existing assignments. An upgrade updates that assignment to the latest version, causing Azure Blueprints to reapply the blueprint's artifacts (policies, role assignments, resource groups, ARM templates) to align the subscription with the new standard.
✗Create a new subscription from the latest blueprint versionWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Creating a new subscription from the latest version does not update existing subscriptions; it only provisions a new subscription with the latest blueprint version.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the requirement is to provision a new subscription that complies with the latest standards, such as onboarding a new business unit that must follow current policies and role assignments.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that creating a new subscription is the only way to apply the latest version, misunderstanding that existing assignments can be upgraded.
✗Reassign the blueprint to the subscriptionsWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Reassigning the blueprint to the subscriptions would overwrite the existing assignment with the same version, not upgrade it to the latest version. To apply updates from a newer version, you must explicitly upgrade the assignment.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If a subscription was never assigned a blueprint, or if the assignment was deleted and needs to be re-established, reassigning the blueprint (from any version) would be the correct action to apply the blueprint's settings.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'reassign' with 'upgrade', thinking that reassigning automatically picks the latest version, but reassignment typically uses the same version as before unless specified otherwise.
✗Nothing, updates apply automaticallyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Updates to a blueprint definition do not automatically apply to existing assignments; you must explicitly upgrade the assignment to apply the latest version.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that the blueprint was published with auto-update enabled (which is not a real feature) or that the subscriptions were linked to the blueprint via a management group with inheritance, then updates might apply automatically. However, Azure Blueprints require manual upgrade of assignments.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that published blueprint versions automatically propagate to existing assignments, similar to how Azure Policy assignments can update automatically when the policy definition is updated.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Azure Cost Management and Billing
Key term
Role
A role is a named set of permissions that can be assigned to users or groups to control access to resources in an IT environment.
Key term
Environment
An environment is a dedicated set of computing resources, configurations, and services used to develop, test, or host software applications in a controlled and repeatable way.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.