The correct configuration is a Conditional Access policy targeting the Salesforce application, applied to all users, with a device state filter set to "Unmanaged" and a session control requiring sign-in frequency of "Every time." This works because the device state filter distinguishes between managed devices (compliant or hybrid-joined) and unmanaged ones, while the sign-in frequency session control overrides the default token lifetime to force re-authentication on every access attempt. On the AZ-500 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Conditional Access policies granularly enforce MFA based on device trust, not just user risk—a common trap is confusing per-user MFA with policy-based MFA, which offers more precise controls. Remember that "Device state: Unmanaged" combined with "Sign-in frequency: Every time" is the only combination that forces MFA on every single access from untrusted devices without affecting managed ones. A helpful memory tip is "Unmanaged equals Unforgiving"—unmanaged devices get no token reuse, so every sign-in demands fresh MFA.
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.
You are a security engineer for a company that uses Microsoft Entra ID. You need to ensure that all users accessing the company's Salesforce application from unmanaged devices are prompted for multi-factor authentication (MFA) every time. What should you configure?
Enable per-user MFA for all users in the Salesforce application.
Why wrong: Per-user MFA cannot differentiate between managed and unmanaged devices.
B
Create a Conditional Access policy that targets the Salesforce application, apply to all users, include 'All device platforms' with 'Device state' filter for 'Unmanaged', and grant access requiring MFA with session control 'Sign-in frequency - Every time'.
This enforces MFA on every sign-in for unmanaged devices.
C
Configure device compliance policy to require MFA on non-compliant devices.
Why wrong: Device compliance policies do not control MFA prompts.
D
Configure MFA registration policy to require all users to register MFA.
Why wrong: Registration does not enforce MFA prompts.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Conditional Access policy that targets the Salesforce application, apply to all users, include 'All device platforms' with 'Device state' filter for 'Unmanaged', and grant access requiring MFA with session control 'Sign-in frequency - Every time'.
Option B is correct because a Conditional Access policy with a 'Device state' filter for 'Unmanaged' and 'Sign-in frequency - Every time' session control forces MFA prompts on every access attempt from unmanaged devices. This meets the requirement to prompt MFA every time for users accessing Salesforce from unmanaged devices, without affecting managed devices or requiring per-user MFA.
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.
✗
Enable per-user MFA for all users in the Salesforce application.
Why it's wrong here
Per-user MFA cannot differentiate between managed and unmanaged devices.
✓
Create a Conditional Access policy that targets the Salesforce application, apply to all users, include 'All device platforms' with 'Device state' filter for 'Unmanaged', and grant access requiring MFA with session control 'Sign-in frequency - Every time'.
Why this is correct
This enforces MFA on every sign-in for unmanaged devices.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure device compliance policy to require MFA on non-compliant devices.
Why it's wrong here
Device compliance policies do not control MFA prompts.
✗
Configure MFA registration policy to require all users to register MFA.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse per-user MFA (Option A) with Conditional Access MFA, not realizing that per-user MFA cannot target specific applications or device states, and that 'Sign-in frequency' is a session control, not a grant control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'Device state' filter in Conditional Access uses the 'isManaged' and 'isCompliant' attributes from Microsoft Entra ID device registration, which are populated when devices are joined or registered with Entra ID. The 'Sign-in frequency - Every time' session control sets the MFA lifetime to zero, overriding the default 90-day MFA session token, ensuring re-authentication on each access. In real-world scenarios, this prevents token replay attacks from unmanaged devices while allowing managed devices to use cached tokens for better user experience.
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-500 question in full detail.
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: Create a Conditional Access policy that targets the Salesforce application, apply to all users, include 'All device platforms' with 'Device state' filter for 'Unmanaged', and grant access requiring MFA with session control 'Sign-in frequency - Every time'. — Option B is correct because a Conditional Access policy with a 'Device state' filter for 'Unmanaged' and 'Sign-in frequency - Every time' session control forces MFA prompts on every access attempt from unmanaged devices. This meets the requirement to prompt MFA every time for users accessing Salesforce from unmanaged devices, without affecting managed devices or requiring per-user MFA.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 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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