MS-102 Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant Practice Question
You are the Microsoft 365 administrator for a company that uses Microsoft 365 E5. The company has a Microsoft Entra tenant with hybrid identity synchronized from on-premises Active Directory using Microsoft Entra Connect. You need to implement self-service password reset (SSPR) so that users can reset their passwords from the Azure portal. The solution must ensure that password changes are written back to on-premises Active Directory. Which two actions should you perform? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that password hash synchronization or seamless SSO enables writeback, when in fact writeback is a separate feature that must be explicitly enabled.
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
✓
Enable self-service password reset for all users in the Microsoft Entra admin center.
Enabling SSPR in Microsoft Entra ID allows users to reset their passwords, and enabling password writeback in Microsoft Entra Connect ensures those new passwords are synchronized back to on-premises Active Directory. Together, these actions provide a seamless self-service password reset experience that keeps on-premises and cloud passwords in sync.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure the on-premises Active Directory domain to use fine-grained password policies.
Why it's wrong here
Fine-grained password policies control password complexity and expiration for on-premises users but do not enable SSPR or writeback. They are unrelated to the requirement. While they might be part of a broader password policy, they do not facilitate cloud-initiated password resets being written back to on-premises Active Directory.
- ✗
Enable password hash synchronization and seamless single sign-on.
Why it's wrong here
Password hash synchronization and seamless single sign-on are authentication methods that improve sign-in experience but do not provide password writeback. Seamless SSO allows users to sign in without entering passwords on domain-joined devices, but it does not enable cloud password resets to update on-premises passwords. This combination does not meet the requirement.
- ✓
Enable self-service password reset for all users in the Microsoft Entra admin center.
Why this is correct
To allow users to reset their passwords, SSPR must be enabled and scoped to the appropriate users. Enabling SSPR in the Microsoft Entra admin center is a necessary step. Without it, users cannot initiate a password reset from the Azure portal. This action, combined with password writeback, meets the requirement.
- ✗
Configure Microsoft Entra Connect to use password hash synchronization.
Why it's wrong here
Password hash synchronization synchronizes password hashes from on-premises to Microsoft Entra ID but does not write changes back to on-premises. It is not required for SSPR writeback; in fact, writeback can work with or without password hash synchronization. This option does not fulfill the writeback requirement.
- ✓
Enable password writeback in Microsoft Entra Connect.
Why this is correct
Password writeback is a feature of Microsoft Entra Connect that allows password changes made in the cloud to be written back to on-premises Active Directory. Without it, users can reset their cloud password, but the on-premises password remains unchanged, causing a mismatch. Enabling password writeback is a required step to meet the requirement.
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Related to this question
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Microsoft 365 Backup Solution
Key term
Hybrid identity
Hybrid identity is an approach that synchronizes and manages user identities across both on-premises directories and cloud-based services, allowing seamless access to resources in both environments.
Key term
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based cloud service from Microsoft that combines productivity tools like Office apps with security, device management, and online storage.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.