Quick Answer
The answer is an MX record pointing to contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com. This is correct because the MX record for email routing to a custom domain like fabrikam.com must direct mail servers to the Exchange Online mail exchanger associated with your primary tenant domain, contoso.com. Microsoft 365 hashes the primary domain into a unique format—contoso-com—and appends .mail.protection.outlook.com, so any email sent to @fabrikam.com is forwarded into the same tenant’s Exchange Online environment. On the MS-102 exam, this question tests your understanding of DNS configuration for hybrid or multi-domain scenarios, often appearing as a scenario where a secondary domain is verified but email flow is not yet configured. A common trap is choosing an MX record pointing to fabrikam-com.mail.protection.outlook.com, but the target always uses the primary domain’s hash, not the custom domain’s. Memory tip: think “primary hash, custom path”—the MX target always reflects your main tenant domain, regardless of which custom domain receives the email.
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage a microsoft 365 tenant. 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. 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 company has a Microsoft 365 tenant with domain contoso.com. They own an additional domain fabrikam.com and have already added and verified it with a TXT record. Now they need to configure email to be routed to Exchange Online for fabrikam.com. Which DNS record must they create?
MX record pointing to contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
The MX record directs email for the domain to Exchange Online.
CNAME record for autodiscover
Why wrong: Autodiscover is for client configuration, not for mail routing.
TXT record for SPF
Why wrong: SPF helps prevent spoofing but does not route email.
SRV record for SIP
Why wrong: SRV record is used for Lync/Skype, not for email routing.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
MX record pointing to contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
To route email for fabrikam.com to Exchange Online, you must create an MX record that points to the Exchange Online mail exchanger. The correct target is contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com, where 'contoso-com' is the hashed version of the primary domain (contoso.com) used by Microsoft 365. This MX record tells the internet's mail servers to deliver messages addressed to @fabrikam.com into the tenant's Exchange Online environment.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
MX record pointing to contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
Why this is correct
The MX record directs email for the domain to Exchange Online.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CNAME record for autodiscover
Why it's wrong here
Autodiscover is for client configuration, not for mail routing.
TXT record for SPF
Why it's wrong here
SPF helps prevent spoofing but does not route email.
SRV record for SIP
Why it's wrong here
SRV record is used for Lync/Skype, not for email routing.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often think they need to create an MX record pointing to 'fabrikam-com.mail.protection.outlook.com' (using the added domain), but Microsoft 365 always uses the primary domain's hashed value in the MX target regardless of which domain's email is being routed.
Detailed technical explanation
The MX record's priority value (e.g., 0 or 10) determines the order of mail servers, but for Exchange Online, a single MX record with any priority (commonly 0) is sufficient. The target domain 'contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com' is derived from the tenant's initial verified domain (contoso.com) and remains constant even when adding additional domains; this is because Exchange Online uses a single mail gateway for the entire tenant. In a hybrid scenario, failing to create this MX record would cause email for fabrikam.com to be undeliverable or fall back to a legacy on-premises server.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant — This question tests Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: MX record pointing to contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com — To route email for fabrikam.com to Exchange Online, you must create an MX record that points to the Exchange Online mail exchanger. The correct target is contoso-com.mail.protection.outlook.com, where 'contoso-com' is the hashed version of the primary domain (contoso.com) used by Microsoft 365. This MX record tells the internet's mail servers to deliver messages addressed to @fabrikam.com into the tenant's Exchange Online environment.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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