A company has a policy that all Azure resources must have a tag named 'CostCenter'. The governance team wants to automatically add the tag with a default value 'IT' to any new resource that is created without it. The team wants the tag to be applied during resource creation, not just report non-compliance. The solution must also support remediation for existing non-compliant resources if needed later. Which Azure Policy effect should the team use in their policy definition?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
Append
Incorrect. The Append effect can add additional fields to a resource during creation or update, and it can be used for tags. However, it does not support modifying existing tags or running remediation on existing resources. The Modify effect is the recommended and more capable choice for tags.
Best answer
Modify
Correct. The Modify effect is designed to add, change, or remove tags and other properties on resources. It can be applied during resource creation or update and supports remediation tasks to bring existing non-compliant resources into compliance. This makes it the best fit for the scenario.
Distractor review
DeployIfNotExists
Incorrect. The DeployIfNotExists effect is used to deploy a resource (such as a diagnostic setting or a network security group) when a parent resource does not have it. It does not modify properties of existing resources like tags.
Distractor review
Audit
Incorrect. The Audit effect creates a compliance report but does not make any changes to resources. The scenario requires automatic application of the tag, not just reporting non-compliance.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer is building a serverless application that requires integration with an on-premises SQL Server database for real-time data processing. The on-premises network is connected to Azure via a site-to-site VPN. Which Azure service would allow the function to securely access the on-premises database without exposing it to the public internet?
Question 2
A solutions architect is designing a storage solution for a large media company. The company needs to store video files that are accessed infrequently but must be retained for several years for compliance. Which two Azure storage options meet these requirements? (Select two.)
Question 3
A company deploys a multi-tier application using Azure virtual machines. The web tier VMs must be evenly distributed across two distinct data centers within an Azure region to avoid a single point of failure from an infrastructure outage. Which Azure construct should they use to meet this requirement?
Question 4
A company wants to enforce a set of security policies across all their Azure subscriptions. They have created several individual policy definitions. Which Azure construct should they use to group these policies together and assign them as a single package?
Question 5
A company deploys a line-of-business application on an Azure virtual machine. The IT team wants to ensure the application remains secure. According to the shared responsibility model, which of the following security tasks is the sole responsibility of the customer (the company)?
Question 6
A company develops a web API that runs on Azure App Service. The development team wants to deploy a new version of the API to a staging environment, run integration tests against it, and then gradually shift production traffic to the new version. If any issues are detected, they want to immediately roll back to the previous version without redeploying. Which Azure App Service feature should the team use to meet these requirements?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-900 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify — The question tests knowledge of Azure Policy effects, specifically how to automatically enforce resource tagging. The 'Modify' effect is the correct choice because it can add, change, or remove tags on resources during creation or update, and it supports remediation tasks for existing non-compliant resources. 'Append' can also add tags to new resources, but it cannot modify existing tags and does not support remediation. 'DeployIfNotExists' is used to deploy a resource (e.g., a diagnostic setting) when a specific resource exists, not for modifying tags. 'Audit' only evaluates compliance without applying any changes.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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