The answer is that the SCEP profile does not reference the trusted certificate profile for the root CA, or the trusted certificate profile is not assigned to iOS devices. This is because iOS devices require the root CA certificate to be installed and trusted on the device before they can process a SCEP certificate enrollment request; the SCEP profile must explicitly link to the trusted certificate profile to establish that chain of trust. On the Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator MD-102 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the dependency order in Intune certificate profiles—a common trap is assuming SCEP profiles work independently. Remember that for iOS, the trusted root must come first, and the SCEP profile must point to it. Memory tip: think "Root first, SCEP second—reference or reject."
MD-102 Manage and maintain devices Practice Question
This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage and maintain devices. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 Intune to manage Windows 10 and iOS devices. You need to deploy a certificate-based authentication solution for Wi-Fi and VPN access. You have set up a Certificate Connector for Microsoft Intune and issued a root CA certificate. You have created a trusted certificate profile for the root CA and a SCEP certificate profile for client certificates. However, iOS devices are failing to enroll for client certificates. You verify that the SCEP profile is correctly configured and assigned. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The Certificate Connector is not configured to support iOS devices.
Why wrong: The connector supports all platforms.
B
iOS devices require user affinity for SCEP enrollment, which is not configured.
Why wrong: SCEP profiles can be device-based; user affinity is not required.
C
The SCEP profile does not reference the trusted certificate profile for the root CA, or the trusted certificate profile is not assigned to iOS devices.
The SCEP profile must reference the root CA certificate profile, and both must be assigned.
D
The iOS devices are not compliant with the compliance policy.
Why wrong: Non-compliance may block access but not prevent certificate enrollment.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The SCEP profile does not reference the trusted certificate profile for the root CA, or the trusted certificate profile is not assigned to iOS devices.
Option C is correct because iOS devices require a trusted certificate profile for the root CA to be deployed before the SCEP profile, and the SCEP profile must reference that trusted certificate. If the reference is missing or incorrect, the SCEP enrollment will fail. Option A is incorrect because the NDES server is not required for Intune certificate deployment. Option B is incorrect because device compliance is not a prerequisite for certificate enrollment. Option D is incorrect because iOS devices can use SCEP without a user affinity requirement.
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.
✗
The Certificate Connector is not configured to support iOS devices.
Why it's wrong here
The connector supports all platforms.
✗
iOS devices require user affinity for SCEP enrollment, which is not configured.
Why it's wrong here
SCEP profiles can be device-based; user affinity is not required.
✓
The SCEP profile does not reference the trusted certificate profile for the root CA, or the trusted certificate profile is not assigned to iOS devices.
Why this is correct
The SCEP profile must reference the root CA certificate profile, and both must be assigned.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The iOS devices are not compliant with the compliance policy.
Why it's wrong here
Non-compliance may block access but not prevent certificate enrollment.
Common exam traps
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 MD-102 question in full detail.
Identify which MD-102 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.
Manage and maintain devices — This question tests Manage and maintain devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The SCEP profile does not reference the trusted certificate profile for the root CA, or the trusted certificate profile is not assigned to iOS devices. — Option C is correct because iOS devices require a trusted certificate profile for the root CA to be deployed before the SCEP profile, and the SCEP profile must reference that trusted certificate. If the reference is missing or incorrect, the SCEP enrollment will fail. Option A is incorrect because the NDES server is not required for Intune certificate deployment. Option B is incorrect because device compliance is not a prerequisite for certificate enrollment. Option D is incorrect because iOS devices can use SCEP without a user affinity requirement.
What should I do if I get this MD-102 question wrong?
Identify which MD-102 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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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