The answer is a Conditional Access policy requiring device compliance. This is correct because Conditional Access in Microsoft Entra ID acts as a policy engine that evaluates signals—such as device state—before granting access to corporate applications. By configuring a policy that requires devices to be marked as compliant in Microsoft Intune, only devices enrolled and meeting company policies can access resources, effectively blocking all unmanaged devices. On the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Conditional Access integrates with Intune for device-based access control, often appearing in questions about securing hybrid or remote work environments. A common trap is confusing Conditional Access with Entra ID Identity Protection, which focuses on user risk rather than device management. Memory tip: think of Conditional Access as the bouncer checking ID (device compliance) at the door, while Intune is the ID issuer.
AZ-305 Practice Question: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions. 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 company uses Microsoft Entra ID. They want to block all access to corporate applications from devices that are not managed by their organization. They require that only devices enrolled in Microsoft Intune and compliant with company policies can access company resources. Which Microsoft Entra ID feature should they use?
Correct. Conditional Access evaluates device compliance (from Intune) and can block or grant access accordingly.
B
Identity Protection with user risk policy
Why wrong: Incorrect. Identity Protection focuses on sign-in risk behavior, not device compliance.
C
Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Why wrong: Incorrect. PIM is for just-in-time privileged role management, not device-based access control.
D
Microsoft Entra ID Join process
Why wrong: Incorrect. Microsoft Entra ID Join registers devices but does not enforce compliance policies; Conditional Access is needed for enforcement.
Option A is correct because Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID can enforce device compliance as a condition for granting access. By configuring a policy that requires devices to be marked as compliant in Microsoft Intune, only devices enrolled and meeting company policies can access corporate applications, effectively blocking unmanaged devices.
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.
Correct. Conditional Access evaluates device compliance (from Intune) and can block or grant access accordingly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Identity Protection with user risk policy
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Identity Protection focuses on sign-in risk behavior, not device compliance.
✗
Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. PIM is for just-in-time privileged role management, not device-based access control.
✗
Microsoft Entra ID Join process
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Microsoft Entra ID Join registers devices but does not enforce compliance policies; Conditional Access is needed for enforcement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Identity Protection's user risk policies with device-based controls, or assume that simply joining a device to Entra ID (Option D) is sufficient to enforce compliance, when in fact a Conditional Access policy is required to block non-compliant devices.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Conditional Access policies evaluate signals such as device compliance, which is reported by Microsoft Intune via the Device Health Attestation service. The policy uses the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control, which checks the device's compliance status token during authentication. In a real-world scenario, a user on a personal phone that is not enrolled in Intune would be denied access to SharePoint Online even if they have valid credentials, because the Conditional Access policy evaluates the device state before issuing a token.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — This question tests Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conditional Access policy requiring device compliance — Option A is correct because Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID can enforce device compliance as a condition for granting access. By configuring a policy that requires devices to be marked as compliant in Microsoft Intune, only devices enrolled and meeting company policies can access corporate applications, effectively blocking unmanaged devices.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company must prevent non-compliant devices from accessing Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. Which design should you recommend?
medium
✓ A.Conditional Access policy requiring a compliant device.
B.Azure Firewall application rule.
C.Storage account network rule.
D.Resource lock on the Microsoft 365 tenant.
Why A: Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) can enforce device compliance by integrating with Microsoft Intune. When a policy requires a compliant device, it checks the device's compliance status before granting access to Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, blocking non-compliant devices at the authentication layer. This is the correct design because it directly controls access to these cloud services based on device health.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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