This MS-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe cloud concepts. 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 colleague says, 'The public cloud is cheaper because you only pay for the resources you use, like compute hours or storage space.' Which cloud computing characteristic directly supports this pay-as-you-go model?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Measured service
Option C is correct because measured service is the cloud computing characteristic that enables a pay-as-you-go model by metering resource usage (e.g., compute hours, storage GB-months, outbound data transfer) and providing transparent billing based on actual consumption. This allows providers like Azure to charge only for what is used, directly supporting the colleague's statement that the public cloud is cheaper because you pay only for resources consumed.
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.
✗
Rapid elasticity
Why it's wrong here
Elasticity refers to scaling resources up/down as needed, but the billing model is a result of metered usage, not elasticity itself.
✗
Broad network access
Why it's wrong here
Broad network access means resources are available over the network from various devices; it does not relate to billing.
✓
Measured service
Why this is correct
Measured service allows the provider to meter usage and charge only for what is consumed, enabling the pay-as-you-go model.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
On-demand self-service
Why it's wrong here
On-demand self-service lets users provision resources independently, but the cost model is separate from that capability.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse on-demand self-service (the ability to provision resources without waiting) with the billing model, but on-demand self-service does not inherently include usage metering or pay-as-you-go pricing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, measured service relies on resource metering agents (e.g., Azure Monitor, AWS CloudWatch) that collect telemetry data such as CPU time, network I/O, and storage operations, which are then aggregated into usage records. These records are processed by billing systems (e.g., Azure Cost Management) that apply pricing tiers, reserved instance discounts, or spot pricing to generate an invoice. A real-world scenario where this matters is when a company uses Azure Functions: they pay only for the number of executions and execution duration (in GB-seconds), not for idle time, which is only possible because of precise metering at the function execution level.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MS-900 question in full detail.
Describe cloud concepts — This question tests Describe cloud concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Measured service — Option C is correct because measured service is the cloud computing characteristic that enables a pay-as-you-go model by metering resource usage (e.g., compute hours, storage GB-months, outbound data transfer) and providing transparent billing based on actual consumption. This allows providers like Azure to charge only for what is used, directly supporting the colleague's statement that the public cloud is cheaper because you pay only for resources consumed.
What should I do if I get this MS-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.
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Question Discussion
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