A company has a mix of full-time employees and contractors. Full-time employees need Microsoft 365 desktop apps, email, and cloud storage. Contractors only need email and cloud storage. Which licensing approach is the most cost-effective?
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
Assign Microsoft 365 Business Standard to both groups
This would provide desktop apps to contractors unnecessarily, increasing costs without benefit.
Best answer
Assign Microsoft 365 Business Basic to contractors and Microsoft 365 Business Standard to full-time employees
Contractors get only the email and storage they need (Business Basic), and full-time employees get the additional desktop apps (Business Standard), minimizing total licensing cost.
Distractor review
Assign Microsoft 365 Apps for business to contractors and Microsoft 365 Business Standard to full-time employees
Microsoft 365 Apps for business includes desktop apps but no email; contractors would still need email, requiring an additional license or service.
Distractor review
Assign Microsoft 365 Business Premium to full-time employees and Microsoft 365 Business Basic to contractors
Business Premium is more expensive than Business Standard due to added security features (e.g., Intune), which are not required here, making this less cost-effective than the correct answer.
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: Assign Microsoft 365 Business Basic to contractors and Microsoft 365 Business Standard to full-time employees — Microsoft 365 Business Basic provides email (Exchange Online) and cloud storage (OneDrive for Business) without desktop apps. Microsoft 365 Business Standard includes all those plus desktop apps. The most cost-effective approach is to assign Business Basic to contractors (who don't need desktop apps) and Business Standard to full-time employees. Business Premium includes additional security features that are not required in this scenario. Microsoft 365 Apps for business includes desktop apps but no email, so it would not meet the contractors' email need.
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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