MS-102 Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant Practice Question
You are the Microsoft 365 administrator for a company that uses Microsoft 365 E3. The company wants to allow users to reset their own passwords without contacting the help desk. You need to enable self-service password reset (SSPR) for all users. What should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that SSPR requires premium licensing or hybrid configuration; it is a baseline feature that only needs to be enabled and configured with authentication methods.
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
✓
In the Microsoft Entra admin center, enable password reset for all users and require users to register authentication methods.
To enable self-service password reset, you must configure it in the Microsoft Entra admin center and require users to register authentication methods. This allows users to reset their own passwords without help desk intervention. SSPR is included in all Microsoft Entra ID editions, so no additional licensing is needed. Conditional access password change and on-premises writeback are not prerequisites for cloud-only SSPR.
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 a conditional access policy that requires password change on next sign-in for all users.
Why it's wrong here
A conditional access policy requiring password change on next sign-in forces users to change their password at next logon, but it does not enable self-service password reset. Users still need to contact the help desk to reset a forgotten password. This policy is typically used for security incidents, not for SSPR. It does not meet the requirement to allow users to reset their own passwords.
- ✓
In the Microsoft Entra admin center, enable password reset for all users and require users to register authentication methods.
Why this is correct
Enabling SSPR in the Microsoft Entra admin center allows users to reset their passwords if they have registered authentication methods. This is the primary step to enable self-service password reset. Requiring registration ensures users have the necessary methods. This configuration meets the requirement without additional licenses, as SSPR is included in Microsoft Entra ID Free and above.
- ✗
Enable Microsoft Entra Connect password writeback and configure password reset in the on-premises Active Directory.
Why it's wrong here
Password writeback is required for hybrid environments to synchronize password changes back to on-premises AD, but it is not the primary step to enable SSPR in the cloud. The scenario does not mention a hybrid identity; it only states Microsoft 365 E3. Enabling writeback without first enabling SSPR in Microsoft Entra ID will not allow cloud users to reset passwords. This is an unnecessary and incorrect step.
- ✗
Assign Microsoft 365 E5 licenses to all users to enable self-service password reset.
Why it's wrong here
Self-service password reset is available in Microsoft Entra ID Free and does not require E5 licenses. Assigning E5 licenses would be an unnecessary cost and does not directly enable SSPR. While E5 includes advanced features like password protection and conditional access, SSPR itself is a baseline feature. This option misrepresents the licensing requirement and does not address the configuration needed.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Teams Channels and External Access Governance
Key term
Self-service password reset
Self-service password reset (SSPR) is a Microsoft identity feature that allows users to reset their own passwords without needing help from an IT helpdesk.
Key term
Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management service that lets employees sign in and access resources both inside and outside of your organization.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every MS-102 question from scratch — 712 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.