Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A development team builds a background service that needs to read all users' calendars via Microsoft Graph without a signed-in user. The service will run on a server with a client secret. Which OAuth 2.0 grant flow should the application use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Authorization code grant
This flow requires a signed-in user to delegate consent, not suitable for a background service.
B
Distractor review
Device authorization grant
This flow is designed for devices with no browser, but still requires a user to sign in on another device.
C
Best answer
Client credentials grant
This flow authenticates the application itself and is ideal for daemon services without user interaction.
D
Distractor review
Implicit grant
The implicit grant is for single-page applications (SPAs) and cannot use secrets securely in a background service.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Related practice questions
Related MS-102 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A company recently added the custom domain 'contoso.com' to their Microsoft 365 tenant. Users report that they cannot receive external email sent to their new domain addresses. The administrator confirmed that the domain status shows 'Active' in the Microsoft 365 admin center. What is the most likely cause of this issue?
Question 2
A company has 500 users across Sales, Marketing, and IT departments. User objects are synced from on-premises Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID using Azure AD Connect. Each department requires different Microsoft 365 license plans (e.g., Sales needs E3, Marketing needs Business Premium, IT needs E5). The administrator wants to automatically assign the appropriate license based on the department attribute without manual intervention. Which approach should the administrator use?
Question 3
A company has purchased 1000 Microsoft 365 E5 licenses and wants to automatically assign licenses to users based on their department attribute, which is synchronized from on-premises Active Directory. The department attribute is stored in Azure AD. Which automated method should the administrator use to achieve this?
Question 4
A company has just purchased Microsoft 365 Business Standard and added the custom domain 'fabrikam.com' to the tenant. They want to verify domain ownership. Which DNS record type must they add to their DNS provider?
Question 5
A company plans to migrate their email from an on-premises Exchange server to Exchange Online. They want to ensure that during the migration, mail sent to users who have already been migrated is delivered to Exchange Online, while mail for non-migrated users is delivered to on-premises. Which type of domain configuration should they use?
Question 6
A company has registered the custom domain 'contoso.com' and wants to host email for the subdomain 'sales.contoso.com' in Exchange Online. They have already verified the root domain. What additional step is required?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MS-102 question test?
Authentication checks who the user is.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Client credentials grant — The client credentials grant is designed for server-to-server or daemon scenarios where no user is present. It uses the application's own credentials (client ID and secret) to authenticate and obtain tokens for accessing resources. Authorization code and device flows require a user, and implicit is for browser-based apps.
What should I do if I get this MS-102 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
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