MS-102 Practice Question: Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage identity and access in microsoft entra id. 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. A key principle to apply: password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.. 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.
A company uses Azure AD Connect with password hash synchronization. They want to allow users to reset their on-premises Active Directory passwords from the cloud Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) portal. Which additional configuration is required in Azure AD Connect?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable password writeback
Password writeback is the specific feature in Azure AD Connect that enables password changes performed in the cloud (via SSPR) to be written back to the on-premises Active Directory. Without this feature enabled and configured, the SSPR portal can only reset cloud-only passwords, not synchronized on-premises passwords. Therefore, enabling password writeback is the additional configuration required beyond the existing password hash synchronization.
Key principle: Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.
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 password writeback
Why this is correct
Password writeback synchronizes password changes from Azure AD to on-premises AD, allowing cloud-initiated resets to update the on-premises password.
Related concept
Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.
✗
Enable self-service password reset in Azure AD
Why it's wrong here
SSPR must be enabled in Azure AD, but the key additional component for on-premises writeback is password writeback in Azure AD Connect.
✗
Configure Federation Services (AD FS)
Why it's wrong here
AD FS is not needed; password hash sync with writeback is sufficient.
✗
Install Azure AD Application Proxy
Why it's wrong here
Application Proxy is for publishing on-premises web apps, not password reset.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse enabling SSPR in Azure AD (a tenant-level setting) with the specific Azure AD Connect feature (password writeback) that is required to make SSPR work for synchronized users, leading them to select Option B instead of A.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Password writeback uses the Azure AD Connect synchronization engine to send the new password hash from Azure AD back to the on-premises AD via a secure channel, leveraging the same synchronization service that handles password hash synchronization. A subtle behavior is that password writeback requires the on-premises AD account used by Azure AD Connect to have the 'Reset Password' permission on the user objects, and it also requires the Azure AD Premium license for the user. In a real-world scenario, if an organization has multiple on-premises AD forests, password writeback can only write back to the forest from which the user was originally synchronized.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.
It synchronizes password changes from Azure AD back to on-premises AD.
Password writeback is required for SSPR to update on-premises passwords.
It works with password hash synchronization and pass-through authentication.
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
Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MS-102 question in full detail.
Implement and manage identity and access in Microsoft Entra ID — This question tests Implement and manage identity and access in Microsoft Entra ID — Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable password writeback — Password writeback is the specific feature in Azure AD Connect that enables password changes performed in the cloud (via SSPR) to be written back to the on-premises Active Directory. Without this feature enabled and configured, the SSPR portal can only reset cloud-only passwords, not synchronized on-premises passwords. Therefore, enabling password writeback is the additional configuration required beyond the existing password hash synchronization.
What should I do if I get this MS-102 question wrong?
Review password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature., then practise related MS-102 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Password writeback is an Azure AD Connect feature.
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