MD-102 Manage applications Practice Question
You assign a required app to a device group. After the next sync, some devices report a 'Failed' status. What should you check first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume 'Failed' status always points to a licensing or sync timing issue, when in fact the device management log is the definitive source for granular failure details that the Intune console summary cannot provide.
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 management log
The device management log (also known as the Intune management extension log or the MDM agent log on the device) provides detailed, real-time error codes and failure reasons for app installation attempts. When a required app shows 'Failed' status after sync, this log is the first place to check because it captures the exact cause—such as a download failure, dependency issue, or script execution error—that the Intune console cannot surface in summary views.
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's last sync time
Why it's wrong here
A stale sync time explains a device not receiving the assignment at all, showing 'Not applicable' or no status, not 'Failed'. Verifying last sync time is the right first step when devices never received the policy or app assignment.
- ✗
If a newer version is already installed
Why it's wrong here
Intune reports 'Failed' when installation itself errors, not when a newer version is present; version conflicts typically surface as 'Not applicable' or install errors. Checking installed versions suits troubleshooting update deployment rings, where supersedence rules determine which package applies.
- ✗
Whether the user is licensed
Why it's wrong here
Licensing governs user-targeted assignments, such as Microsoft 365 app deployment via user groups; device-group assignments do not evaluate user licences. A licensing check belongs in scenarios where required apps fail for specific users despite successful device sync.
- ✓
The device management log
Why this is correct
The device management log, found in Intune under Devices > Monitor or on the device via Event Viewer, records app installation errors and failure codes. Checking it first satisfies the stem's need to diagnose why required app deployment reported 'Failed' status after sync.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Endpoint Management in Microsoft 365
Key term
MDM
MDM stands for Mobile Device Management, a technology that allows IT administrators to securely manage, monitor, and enforce policies on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets from a central console.
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.
About these practice questions
One of 556 original MD-102 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.