The answer is Litigation Hold, the correct Microsoft Purview feature to preserve all communications in a user’s mailbox and OneDrive for ongoing litigation while allowing normal work. This works by placing a hold directly on the user’s entire mailbox and OneDrive, capturing all content in its original state—including deleted, modified, and newly created items—so no data can be altered or permanently removed. On the MS-102 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between Litigation Hold and eDiscovery Hold; the key trap is that eDiscovery Hold applies only to specific search results, whereas Litigation Hold covers the full mailbox and OneDrive without needing a search query. A strong memory tip is to think of Litigation Hold as a “full preservation blanket” over the user’s entire data estate, while eDiscovery Hold is a “targeted spotlight” on specific items. Remember: if the requirement is to preserve everything for a user, Litigation Hold is the direct, always-on solution.
MS-102 Manage compliance by using Microsoft Purview Practice Question
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage compliance by using microsoft purview. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
A compliance administrator needs to preserve all communications in a user's mailbox and OneDrive for an ongoing litigation. The user must continue working normally, but their data should not be altered or deleted. Which Microsoft Purview feature should be applied?
Why wrong: eDiscovery Hold preserves content based on a search query, not the entire mailbox and OneDrive.
B
Litigation Hold
Litigation Hold preserves all mailbox and OneDrive content for a user, while allowing normal operations.
C
Retention policy
Why wrong: Retention policies apply to all items in a location (e.g., all mailboxes) and cannot be scoped to a single user's full content for legal hold.
D
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy
Why wrong: DLP policies prevent sharing of sensitive data but do not preserve content.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Litigation Hold
Litigation Hold is the correct feature because it preserves all mailbox and OneDrive content in its original state, including deleted and modified items, while allowing the user to continue working normally. Unlike eDiscovery Hold, which is applied to specific search results, Litigation Hold is placed directly on the user's mailbox and OneDrive to prevent any data from being altered or deleted during ongoing litigation.
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.
✗
eDiscovery Hold
Why it's wrong here
eDiscovery Hold preserves content based on a search query, not the entire mailbox and OneDrive.
✓
Litigation Hold
Why this is correct
Litigation Hold preserves all mailbox and OneDrive content for a user, while allowing normal operations.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Retention policy
Why it's wrong here
Retention policies apply to all items in a location (e.g., all mailboxes) and cannot be scoped to a single user's full content for legal hold.
✗
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy
Why it's wrong here
DLP policies prevent sharing of sensitive data but do not preserve content.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Litigation Hold with eDiscovery Hold, mistakenly thinking that eDiscovery Hold is the primary tool for preserving all user data, when in fact Litigation Hold is the direct hold applied to a user's entire mailbox and OneDrive for legal preservation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Litigation Hold works by placing the user's entire mailbox and OneDrive on hold at the item level, meaning that any changes or deletions are tracked and preserved in the Recoverable Items folder (for Exchange Online) or the Preservation Hold library (for OneDrive). This ensures that even if a user deletes an email or file, the original version is retained and discoverable via eDiscovery searches. In real-world scenarios, Litigation Hold is often used in conjunction with legal holds to meet regulatory requirements like SEC Rule 17a-4 or FRCP e-discovery obligations.
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.
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
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 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. 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.
Manage compliance by using Microsoft Purview — This question tests Manage compliance by using Microsoft Purview — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Litigation Hold — Litigation Hold is the correct feature because it preserves all mailbox and OneDrive content in its original state, including deleted and modified items, while allowing the user to continue working normally. Unlike eDiscovery Hold, which is applied to specific search results, Litigation Hold is placed directly on the user's mailbox and OneDrive to prevent any data from being altered or deleted during ongoing litigation.
What should I do if I get this MS-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This MS-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 MS-102 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.