A company has 250 users with Microsoft 365 E3 licenses. They need to add Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 (for advanced threat protection and automated investigation) and Microsoft 365 E5 eDiscovery and Audit capabilities for legal investigations. They want to keep their existing E3 subscriptions and minimize additional costs. What is the most cost-effective licensing approach?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Distractor review
Upgrade all users to Microsoft 365 E5
Upgrading to E5 includes many extra features (e.g., Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Cloud App Security) that increase cost unnecessarily.
Distractor review
Purchase the Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on for all users
E5 Security adds Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 but does not add the eDiscovery and Audit capabilities.
Distractor review
Purchase the Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance add-on for all users
E5 Compliance adds eDiscovery and Audit but does not include Defender for Office 365 Plan 2.
Best answer
Purchase the Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 add-on and the Microsoft 365 E5 eDiscovery and Audit add-on separately
Both add-ons are available for E3, providing exactly the needed capabilities without paying for unnecessary features.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Related practice questions
Related MS-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
During requirements gathering, an IT manager says the organization must let users provision resources from a portal without provider interaction. Cloud concept or benefit best matches this requirement?
Question 2
A compliance-aware administrator is selecting the right Microsoft 365 capability to use Microsoft 365 and another public cloud provider for different workloads. Cloud concept or benefit best matches this requirement?
Question 3
While preparing a Microsoft 365 adoption plan, a consultant is asked to manage leads, opportunities, customer accounts, and sales processes. Microsoft 365 app or service is the best fit?
Question 4
A project manager needs to create a detailed project schedule with a Gantt chart view, task dependencies, critical path analysis, and milestones. The schedule must be shared with team members who can update their tasks, and the manager wants to track progress against a baseline. Which Microsoft 365 app is specifically designed for this type of project management?
Question 5
A project manager wants to schedule a meeting with team members to discuss project progress. They need to find a time that works for everyone based on their calendars. Which Microsoft 365 app should they use?
Question 6
A project manager wants to create a visual dashboard that tracks project tasks, deadlines, and progress. The dashboard should pull data from a Microsoft List and update in real time. Which Microsoft 365 app is best suited for building this interactive dashboard?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MS-900 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Purchase the Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 add-on and the Microsoft 365 E5 eDiscovery and Audit add-on separately — Both Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 and Microsoft 365 E5 eDiscovery and Audit are available as standalone add-on licenses for E3. Purchasing both add-ons separately is less expensive than upgrading all users to E5, which would include many additional features not required. The E5 Security add-on includes Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 but not the eDiscovery/Audit capabilities. The E5 Compliance add-on includes the eDiscovery/Audit but not the Defender capabilities. Therefore, buying both add-ons is the most cost-effective approach.
What should I do if I get this MS-900 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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