- A
Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on
This add-on bundles Defender for Microsoft 365 Plan 2 and Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 at a lower combined price than purchasing them individually.
- B
Microsoft Defender for Microsoft 365 Plan 1 and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 add-ons
Why wrong: These two add-ons can be purchased separately, but the E5 Security add-on is typically more cost-effective for the same combined capabilities.
- C
Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance add-on
Why wrong: This add-on provides compliance features (e.g., retention, eDiscovery) but does not include the required threat protection capabilities.
- D
Upgrade all users to Microsoft 365 E5
Why wrong: Upgrading to E5 is more expensive than the Security add-on because it also includes advanced compliance and analytics features that are not required.
MS-900 Describe Microsoft 365 pricing and support Practice Question
This MS-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe microsoft 365 pricing and support. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 with 250 users has Microsoft 365 E3 licenses. They want to add advanced anti-phishing and anti-malware protection for email and also deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) for all devices. What is the most cost-effective licensing add-on?
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
Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on
Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on provides advanced anti-phishing and anti-malware protection via Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 and includes Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 for EDR capabilities. This is the most cost-effective option because it adds exactly the required security features to existing E3 licenses without the higher cost of a full E5 upgrade or the redundancy of separate plan 1 add-ons.
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.
- ✓
Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on
Why this is correct
This add-on bundles Defender for Microsoft 365 Plan 2 and Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 at a lower combined price than purchasing them individually.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Microsoft Defender for Microsoft 365 Plan 1 and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 add-ons
Why it's wrong here
These two add-ons can be purchased separately, but the E5 Security add-on is typically more cost-effective for the same combined capabilities.
- ✗
Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance add-on
Why it's wrong here
This add-on provides compliance features (e.g., retention, eDiscovery) but does not include the required threat protection capabilities.
- ✗
Upgrade all users to Microsoft 365 E5
Why it's wrong here
Upgrading to E5 is more expensive than the Security add-on because it also includes advanced compliance and analytics features that are not required.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the 'Plan 1' vs 'Plan 2' tiers, assuming that any Defender add-on provides full EDR and advanced anti-phishing, when in reality Plan 1 lacks key features like automated investigation and advanced threat hunting.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 includes advanced anti-phishing policies that use machine learning to detect zero-hour auto purge, spoof intelligence, and impersonation protection, while Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 provides EDR with behavioral blocking, automated investigation, and threat hunting via Microsoft 365 Defender portal. The E5 Security add-on bundles these Plan 2 capabilities at a lower per-user cost than upgrading to full E5, making it the optimal choice for organizations that already have E3 and need only enhanced security.
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-900 question test?
Describe Microsoft 365 pricing and support — This question tests Describe Microsoft 365 pricing and support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on — Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on provides advanced anti-phishing and anti-malware protection via Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 and includes Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 for EDR capabilities. This is the most cost-effective option because it adds exactly the required security features to existing E3 licenses without the higher cost of a full E5 upgrade or the redundancy of separate plan 1 add-ons.
What should I do if I get this MS-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This MS-900 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-900 exam.
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