MD-102 Prepare infrastructure for devices Practice Question
You are troubleshooting a Windows device that is not receiving policies from Microsoft Intune. The device shows as 'Not evaluated' or 'Pending' in the Intune console. The device is enrolled and connected to the internet. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume policy delivery failures are due to compliance or certificate issues, but the MD-102 exam specifically tests the understanding that a device must actively check in with the Intune service to receive policies, and a 'Pending' status directly indicates a missed check-in.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The device has not checked in with the Intune service recently.
When a device shows as 'Not evaluated' or 'Pending' in the Intune console, it indicates that the Intune service has not received a recent check-in from the device. Even if the device is enrolled and connected to the internet, it must periodically communicate with the Intune service to retrieve policies; the default check-in interval is approximately 8 hours, and if the device misses this window, policies remain unevaluated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The device is marked as non-compliant.
Why it's wrong here
Non-compliance is an outcome of policy evaluation, not a blocker of it; a non-compliant device still receives and applies policies. It is tempting because compliance status appears alongside policy status in the console, and conditional access blocks would be the concern if resources were inaccessible.
- ✗
The device does not have a valid device certificate.
Why it's wrong here
A missing device certificate breaks the mutual TLS channel used for MDM check-ins, but the stem states the device is enrolled and connected, so authentication is functioning. It is tempting because certificate failures do cause policy delivery errors, typically after a device is wiped or its certificate is revoked.
- ✓
The device has not checked in with the Intune service recently.
Why this is correct
Intune policy evaluation depends on the device checking in with the service. Without a recent check-in, the console reports 'Not evaluated' or 'Pending' because no MDM session has delivered or acknowledged policy. Connectivity alone is insufficient.
- ✗
The device enrollment profile has expired.
Why it's wrong here
Enrolment profiles govern initial device onboarding, not ongoing policy evaluation, and an expired profile would not leave an enrolled device showing Pending. It is tempting because expired profiles do block enrolment, which would be the cause if the device had never successfully enrolled.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Updating Devices with Windows Update for Business
Key term
Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that helps organizations manage their users' devices and applications, ensuring security and compliance without needing to own or control the physical hardware.
Key term
Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that helps organizations manage employee devices, apps, and security policies without needing to own or control the physical hardware.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This MD-102 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 MD-102 exam.