- A
Azure Blueprints
Why wrong: Azure Blueprints can define a repeatable set of Azure resources and policies that implement and adhere to standards. However, Blueprints do not automatically remediate existing non-compliant resources; they are primarily used to orchestrate deployment of a new environment.
- B
Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect (with remediation)
Azure Policy with the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect automatically evaluates existing resources for compliance. When a non-compliant resource is found, a remediation task can execute a deployment to bring the resource into compliance (e.g., convert unmanaged disks to managed disks). The policy also applies to new resources, ensuring all future VMs use managed disks.
- C
Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates
Why wrong: ARM templates are JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) files that define the infrastructure and configuration for your Azure solution. They are used for declarative deployments but do not provide ongoing policy enforcement or automatic remediation of existing resources.
- D
Azure Cost Management + Budgets
Why wrong: Azure Cost Management + Budgets is a service that helps you monitor, allocate, and optimize your cloud spending. It does not have capabilities to enforce resource configurations or remediate non-compliant resources.
Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect. This is correct because DeployIfNotExists automatically evaluates all existing and new resources against a policy rule; when it detects a VM using unmanaged disks, it triggers a remediation task to convert that disk to a managed disk, while also ensuring any new VM is provisioned with managed disks by deploying the required configuration at creation time. On the AZ-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Azure Policy enforces compliance and automates remediation, often appearing as a distractor against Azure Blueprints or Azure Migrate. A common trap is choosing Azure Migrate, which handles migration but not ongoing enforcement. Memory tip: think “DeployIfNotExists” as “Deploy if it’s not already compliant”—it both fixes the past and enforces the future.
AZ-900 Describe Azure management and governance Practice Question
This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe azure management and governance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 has several Azure subscriptions that contain hundreds of virtual machines. A new corporate standard requires that all VMs must use Azure managed disks instead of unmanaged disks. The governance team needs to automatically identify existing VMs with unmanaged disks and convert them to managed disks without requiring manual intervention for each VM. The team also wants to ensure that any new VMs created in the future automatically use managed disks. Which Azure feature should they use to meet both requirements?
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
Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect (with remediation)
Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect can automatically identify VMs using unmanaged disks and, when combined with remediation tasks, convert them to managed disks without manual intervention. It also enforces that any new VMs are created with managed disks by evaluating and automatically deploying the required configuration at creation time. This meets both the identification/conversion of existing resources and the enforcement for future resources.
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.
- ✗
Azure Blueprints
Why it's wrong here
Azure Blueprints can define a repeatable set of Azure resources and policies that implement and adhere to standards. However, Blueprints do not automatically remediate existing non-compliant resources; they are primarily used to orchestrate deployment of a new environment.
- ✓
Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect (with remediation)
Why this is correct
Azure Policy with the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect automatically evaluates existing resources for compliance. When a non-compliant resource is found, a remediation task can execute a deployment to bring the resource into compliance (e.g., convert unmanaged disks to managed disks). The policy also applies to new resources, ensuring all future VMs use managed disks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates
Why it's wrong here
ARM templates are JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) files that define the infrastructure and configuration for your Azure solution. They are used for declarative deployments but do not provide ongoing policy enforcement or automatic remediation of existing resources.
- ✗
Azure Cost Management + Budgets
Why it's wrong here
Azure Cost Management + Budgets is a service that helps you monitor, allocate, and optimize your cloud spending. It does not have capabilities to enforce resource configurations or remediate non-compliant resources.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Policy's auditing capabilities (e.g., 'AuditIfNotExists') with its remediation capabilities, assuming that simply identifying non-compliant resources is sufficient, but the question explicitly requires automatic conversion, which only the DeployIfNotExists effect with remediation can achieve.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The DeployIfNotExists effect in Azure Policy triggers a deployment task when a resource is found to be non-compliant, and with a managed identity, it can execute ARM template deployments to convert unmanaged disks to managed disks. Remediation tasks can be run on demand or scheduled to scan and fix existing resources, while the policy definition itself evaluates new resources at creation time. A subtle behavior is that the conversion process requires the VM to be deallocated, so the policy must be paired with a remediation task that handles this state change, which can be automated via Azure Automation or similar tools.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
- →
Describe Azure management and governance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Describe Azure management and governance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All AZ-900 questions
1,031 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
AZ-900 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related AZ-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Describe cloud concepts practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe cloud concepts.
Describe Azure architecture and services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe Azure architecture and services.
Describe Azure management and governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to Describe Azure management and governance.
AZ-900 Azure services practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 Azure services.
AZ-900 pricing and support practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 pricing and support.
AZ-900 security and compliance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 security and compliance.
AZ-900 governance practice questions
Practise AZ-900 questions linked to AZ-900 governance.
Practice this exam
Start a free AZ-900 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect (with remediation) — Azure Policy with the DeployIfNotExists effect can automatically identify VMs using unmanaged disks and, when combined with remediation tasks, convert them to managed disks without manual intervention. It also enforces that any new VMs are created with managed disks by evaluating and automatically deploying the required configuration at creation time. This meets both the identification/conversion of existing resources and the enforcement for future resources.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.