Question 337 of 975

Manage compliance by using Microsoft Purview →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is a retention policy for the site with a retention period of 5 years and the action set to 'Retain'. This is correct because a retention policy configured with the 'Retain' action places a legal hold on the content, moving deleted documents into the Preservation Hold library where they become immutable and cannot be permanently deleted by any user or automated process, ensuring the 5-year minimum retention is enforced. On the MS-102 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Microsoft Purview retention policies differ from labels and litigation hold, with a common trap being to select a deletion-based policy or a label that only applies metadata. Remember that to prevent permanent deletion in SharePoint Online, the retention policy must explicitly use the 'Retain' action rather than 'Delete' or 'Retain and then Delete'. A useful memory tip is "Retain to restrain deletion"—if the action is set to retain, the item is locked in the Preservation Hold library for the full duration.

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. 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.

A compliance officer needs to ensure that no user can permanently delete a document from a specific SharePoint Online site. The document must be kept for at least 5 years. Which Microsoft Purview solution should the officer configure?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
A: Sensitivity label with a retention period of 5 years.
Why wrong: Sensitivity labels with retention can be removed or overwritten by users; they do not guarantee that deletion is blocked.
B
B: Retention policy for the site with retention period of 5 years and action set to 'Retain'.
A retention policy applied at the site level prevents permanent deletion of content during the retention period, meeting the requirement.
C
C: DLP policy to prevent deletion of documents.
Why wrong: DLP policies are not designed to block deletion; they protect data from being shared externally.
D
D: eDiscovery hold on the site.
Why wrong: eDiscovery holds are for legal preservation and are not intended for routine retention; they also don't automatically delete after 5 years.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

B: Retention policy for the site with retention period of 5 years and action set to 'Retain'.

A retention policy with the 'Retain' action ensures that documents in the SharePoint site are preserved for the specified period and cannot be permanently deleted by users or system processes. This meets the compliance requirement of a 5-year minimum retention and prevents permanent deletion, as retained items are moved to the Preservation Hold library.

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.

✗
A: Sensitivity label with a retention period of 5 years.
Why it's wrong here
Sensitivity labels with retention can be removed or overwritten by users; they do not guarantee that deletion is blocked.
✓
B: Retention policy for the site with retention period of 5 years and action set to 'Retain'.
Why this is correct
A retention policy applied at the site level prevents permanent deletion of content during the retention period, meeting the requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
C: DLP policy to prevent deletion of documents.
Why it's wrong here
DLP policies are not designed to block deletion; they protect data from being shared externally.
✗
D: eDiscovery hold on the site.
Why it's wrong here
eDiscovery holds are for legal preservation and are not intended for routine retention; they also don't automatically delete after 5 years.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse retention policies with sensitivity labels or eDiscovery holds, assuming that any retention setting or legal hold prevents deletion, but only a retention policy with the 'Retain' action provides the specific immutable retention and deletion prevention required for a fixed period like 5 years.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

When a retention policy with 'Retain' action is applied to a SharePoint site, documents are stored in the Preservation Hold library, which is hidden from users and maintains a copy of the original item even if the user deletes the document from the original library. The retention period is calculated from the date the content was created or last modified, and during that period, the item cannot be permanently deleted by any user, including site collection administrators. This behavior is enforced by the SharePoint timer job that evaluates retention policies and moves deleted items to the Preservation Hold library, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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

Questions learners often ask

What does this MS-102 question test?

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: B: Retention policy for the site with retention period of 5 years and action set to 'Retain'. — A retention policy with the 'Retain' action ensures that documents in the SharePoint site are preserved for the specified period and cannot be permanently deleted by users or system processes. This meets the compliance requirement of a 5-year minimum retention and prevents permanent deletion, as retained items are moved to the Preservation Hold library.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on MS-102

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A compliance officer needs to ensure that all documents in a SharePoint Online site are retained for 5 years and then automatically deleted. During the retention period, users must be allowed to edit the documents but not delete them. Which Microsoft Purview solution should the officer configure?

medium

✓ A.Create a retention policy with a retention rule for 5 years, configured to retain then delete, and enable the preservation hold setting.
B.Create a retention label with the action to retain for 5 years then delete, and apply it to the site via auto-labeling.
C.Create a sensitivity label with encryption and set an expiration date for 5 years.
D.Place the site on an eDiscovery hold with a custom retention period.

Why A: Option A is correct because a retention policy with a 'retain then delete' action meets both requirements: it retains documents for 5 years and then automatically deletes them, while the preservation hold setting prevents users from deleting documents during the retention period. This policy applies at the site level, ensuring all content is covered without requiring manual labeling.

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Question Discussion

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