PL-900 Practice Question: Describe the business value of Microsoft Power Platform
Which TWO of the following scenarios are best suited for Power Automate's cloud flows?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse cloud flows with desktop flows (RPA), assuming cloud flows can handle on-premises file moves or legacy app automation, but the PL-900 exam tests the distinction that cloud flows are API-driven and require connectors, while desktop flows handle UI-based and on-premises tasks.
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
✓
Automating approval processes in SharePoint.
Option A is correct because SharePoint is a first-class cloud connector in Power Automate, and approval processes are a canonical cloud flow scenario: a flow can trigger on an item being created or modified in a SharePoint list or library and use the Approvals connector to route the request to approvers, all without any on-premises infrastructure. Option B is correct because Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) exposes a native cloud connector, so a flow can trigger on events such as 'When a new user is created' and immediately send a welcome email via Outlook/Office 365 Outlook — a purely cloud-to-cloud integration with no gateway required. Option C is not the best fit because moving files from an on-premises server requires the on-premises data gateway (or a desktop flow), which is a hybrid scenario rather than a native cloud flow. Option D is not the best fit because automating data entry in a legacy desktop application requires UI automation, which is the domain of Power Automate desktop flows (RPA), not cloud flows.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Automating approval processes in SharePoint.
Why this is correct
Cloud flows run server-side on triggers and schedules, so a SharePoint item event can initiate approval requests, route them to approvers, and record outcomes without any user's device being active. This satisfies the requirement for unattended, automated approval handling.
- ✓
Sending a welcome email when a new user is added to Microsoft Entra ID.
Why this is correct
Cloud flows trigger on events in connected services, so a Microsoft Entra ID user-creation event can automatically dispatch a welcome email. This satisfies the requirement for server-side automation that runs unattended, unlike desktop flows, which act on a local machine.
- ✗
Moving files from an on-premises server to a cloud storage.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud flows execute in Microsoft's cloud and cannot reach an on-premises file share without a data gateway, which this scenario does not mention. It is tempting because cloud flows do move files between cloud services, so it would be correct when both the source and destination are cloud endpoints such as SharePoint and OneDrive.
- ✗
Automating data entry from a legacy desktop application.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud flows run in Microsoft's multitenant service and cannot drive a legacy desktop application's UI without an on-premises gateway or desktop flow. It is tempting because cloud flows do automate repetitive data entry, so it would be correct when the target system exposes a REST API or connector the cloud service can call directly.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PL-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 PL-900 exam.