Common AZ-900 Exam Scenarios and Practice
Key Takeaways
- Scenario-based questions require matching Azure services to specific business requirements rather than recalling definitions.
- The "most cost-effective" answer usually involves Reserved Instances, right-sizing, or serverless — not the most powerful option.
- For compliance scenarios, focus on Azure Policy (enforce rules), resource locks (prevent changes), and Purview (data governance).
- Migration scenarios test your knowledge of rehost (lift-and-shift), refactor (PaaS), rearchitect (cloud-native), and rebuild strategies.
- Always read ALL answer options before selecting — the most obvious answer is not always the best fit for the scenario.
Common AZ-900 Exam Scenarios and Practice
Quick Answer: AZ-900 scenario questions test your ability to match Azure services to business needs. Focus on: cost optimization (Reserved Instances, right-sizing), migration strategies (rehost vs. refactor), security (shared responsibility, Zero Trust), and governance (Policy vs. RBAC).
Scenario Pattern 1: "Which Service Should You Use?"
These questions describe a business requirement and ask you to choose the most appropriate Azure service.
Decision Framework:
| Requirement | Service |
|---|---|
| "Full control over the operating system" | Azure VMs (IaaS) |
| "Host a web application without managing servers" | Azure App Service (PaaS) |
| "Run code only when triggered by events" | Azure Functions (Serverless) |
| "Run containers without managing infrastructure" | Azure Container Instances or Container Apps |
| "Orchestrate complex multi-container applications" | Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) |
| "Store unstructured data like images and videos" | Azure Blob Storage |
| "Globally distributed NoSQL database" | Azure Cosmos DB |
| "Migrate SQL Server with minimal changes" | Azure SQL Managed Instance |
| "Securely store secrets and encryption keys" | Azure Key Vault |
| "Get security posture recommendations" | Microsoft Defender for Cloud |
| "Automate business workflows" | Azure Logic Apps |
Scenario Pattern 2: "Most Cost-Effective Solution"
These questions ask for the cheapest or most cost-effective approach.
Cost Optimization Rules:
- Predictable, steady workload → Reserved Instances (up to 72% savings)
- Variable, unpredictable workload → Pay-as-you-go or auto-scaling
- Fault-tolerant batch processing → Spot VMs (up to 90% savings)
- Event-driven, infrequent execution → Azure Functions (Consumption plan)
- Existing Windows/SQL licenses → Azure Hybrid Benefit
- Dev/test environments → Auto-shutdown, smaller VM sizes, dev/test pricing
- Infrequently accessed data → Cool or Archive storage tiers
Scenario Pattern 3: "Compliance and Governance"
| Requirement | Solution |
|---|---|
| "Restrict which regions resources can be created in" | Azure Policy (Allowed Locations) |
| "Prevent accidental deletion of production resources" | Resource Locks (CanNotDelete) |
| "Track costs by department" | Tags + Cost Management |
| "Ensure all storage accounts use encryption" | Azure Policy |
| "Control who can create resources" | RBAC (Role Assignments) |
| "Classify and govern data across the organization" | Microsoft Purview |
| "Meet HIPAA/GDPR/PCI compliance requirements" | Microsoft Trust Center + Compliance Manager |
Scenario Pattern 4: "Security and Identity"
| Requirement | Solution |
|---|---|
| "Verify user identity with multiple factors" | MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) |
| "Users should sign in once for all applications" | Single Sign-On (SSO) |
| "Block access from untrusted locations" | Conditional Access |
| "Same credentials for on-premises and cloud" | Azure AD Connect (hybrid identity) |
| "Detect and respond to security threats" | Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM/SOAR) |
| "Protect against DDoS attacks" | Azure DDoS Protection |
| "Secure RDP access to VMs without public IPs" | Azure Bastion |
Final Practice Tips
- Read the entire question — AZ-900 questions sometimes have important context in the last sentence
- Read ALL options — Eliminate obviously wrong answers before selecting
- Focus on the BUSINESS need — Match the service to the specific requirement, not the most impressive-sounding option
- Watch for keywords — "Most cost-effective," "minimum administrative effort," "maximum availability"
- Trust your preparation — If you have studied all sections of this guide, you are well prepared
Final Reminder: The AZ-900 tests your understanding of cloud concepts and Azure services at a foundational level. You do NOT need to know how to configure services, write code, or design complex architectures. Know WHAT each service does and WHEN to use it. Good luck on your exam!
A startup needs to host a web application and wants to minimize server management. They do not need OS-level access. Which service should they use?
A company runs batch processing jobs that can be interrupted and restarted. They want the lowest possible compute cost. Which option should they choose?
An organization needs to ensure that no Azure resources are created outside of the US East and West Europe regions. Which feature enforces this?
Place the Azure resource hierarchy levels in order from HIGHEST (broadest scope) to LOWEST (most specific):
Arrange the items in the correct order