The correct answer is to configure a Conditional Access policy that requires the device be marked as compliant. This works because Conditional Access evaluates signals like device state against your access controls, and the “Require compliant device” grant directly enforces that only devices enrolled in Microsoft Entra ID and meeting your compliance policies (e.g., via Intune) can access sensitive data. On the AZ-500 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Conditional Access policies integrate with device management to secure unmanaged devices—a common trap is confusing device registration (which just identifies a device) with compliance (which checks health and configuration). Remember the key distinction: registration proves identity, compliance proves health. A quick memory tip is “Compliance is the gatekeeper for sensitive data; registration is just the ID card.”
AZ-500 Secure identity and access Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure identity and access. 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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Entra ID for identity management. You need to ensure that users accessing sensitive data from unmanaged devices are required to use a compliant device. What should you configure?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a Conditional Access policy that requires that the device be marked as compliant
Option B is correct because Conditional Access policies can enforce device compliance requirements. Option A is incorrect because MFA alone does not enforce device compliance. Option C is incorrect because Identity Protection focuses on risk, not device state. Option D is incorrect because device registration does not enforce compliance checks.
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.
✗
Configure a device registration policy
Why it's wrong here
Device registration does not enforce compliance.
✓
Configure a Conditional Access policy that requires that the device be marked as compliant
Why this is correct
This enforces device compliance for access to sensitive data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure an Identity Protection policy for user risk
Why it's wrong here
Identity Protection focuses on risk, not device state.
✗
Configure a Conditional Access policy that requires multi-factor authentication
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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-500 question in full detail.
Identify which AZ-500 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Secure identity and access — This question tests Secure identity and access — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a Conditional Access policy that requires that the device be marked as compliant — Option B is correct because Conditional Access policies can enforce device compliance requirements. Option A is incorrect because MFA alone does not enforce device compliance. Option C is incorrect because Identity Protection focuses on risk, not device state. Option D is incorrect because device registration does not enforce compliance checks.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Identify which AZ-500 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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. Your organization uses Microsoft Entra ID for identity management. You need to prevent users from using their work accounts to access corporate resources from untrusted locations unless they have registered their devices. Which conditional access policy setting should you configure?
easy
A.Grant access, require approved client app
✓ B.Grant access, require device to be marked as compliant
Why B: Option B is correct because the 'Grant access, require device to be marked as compliant' condition ensures that only devices meeting your organization's compliance policies (e.g., BitLocker enabled, antivirus running, OS patch level) can access corporate resources. When combined with a location condition (e.g., 'All trusted locations' or 'All locations' with an exclusion for trusted IPs), this setting effectively blocks access from untrusted locations unless the device is compliant, which implies it has been registered and managed in Microsoft Entra ID.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
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This AZ-500 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-500 exam.
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