MS-900 Describe Microsoft 365 apps and services Practice Question
A team needs to create a shared online document and collaborate in real time with colleagues. They require built-in version history and the ability to access the document from any device. Which Microsoft 365 app should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse Microsoft Teams as the app for document collaboration, but Teams itself is a hub for communication and relies on integrated Office Online apps for actual document editing, making Word Online the direct answer for the specific requirements of shared document creation and real-time collaboration.
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 Word Online
Microsoft Word Online is the correct choice because it is a browser-based version of Word that enables real-time co-authoring, automatic version history, and access from any device with an internet connection. Unlike the desktop app, it does not require installation and syncs changes instantly via OneDrive or SharePoint, meeting all stated requirements.
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 Word (desktop)
Why it's wrong here
Although Microsoft Word (desktop) does support co-authoring, it is an installed application that requires a Microsoft 365 subscription or perpetual license, periodic updates, and local configuration. Real-time collaboration in the desktop app only works when documents are stored on OneDrive or SharePoint and all users are on compatible versions, making it less immediately accessible than a browser-based solution. This option is therefore incorrect for a simple, universal shared online document scenario.
- ✓
Microsoft Word Online
Why this is correct
Microsoft Word Online is the correct choice because it runs entirely in a web browser, so no software installation is required and it works on any device with internet access. It provides full real-time co-authoring with presence indicators, automatic saving, and version history through OneDrive or SharePoint. This makes the shared document instantly accessible and lets multiple people edit simultaneously without extra setup.
- ✗
Microsoft OneNote
Why it's wrong here
OneNote is a digital notebook application optimized for capturing and organizing notes, clippings, drawings, and loosely structured content across sections and pages, not a dedicated word processor. While OneNote does offer real-time collaboration, its non-linear canvas and lack of formal document layout features (such as pagination, headers/footers, and print-oriented formatting) do not match the requirements of creating a shared online document. Choosing OneNote would be incorrect because the prompt asks for a document-editing experience that Word Online is designed to provide.
- ✗
Microsoft Teams
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration hub for chat, meetings, channels, and file sharing, and it integrates Office web apps through its Files tab, but it is not itself the document editor. When users open a Word file in Teams, Teams launches Word Online (or the desktop app) in a separate interface to perform the actual editing and co-authoring. Therefore, Teams is incorrect as the direct answer because the shared document's collaborative creation is achieved by the underlying Office web app, not by Teams as a standalone tool.
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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.