- A
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize Count = count() by Account | where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
Why wrong: The time filter is applied after the summarize, which means it will not filter out older events before the aggregation, leading to incorrect results.
- B
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 and TimeGenerated > ago(1h) | summarize Count = count() by Account
This correctly filters by event ID and time first, then summarizes counts per account.
- C
SigninLogs | where ResultType != 0 | summarize Count = count() by UserPrincipalName | where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
Why wrong: SigninLogs table is for Microsoft Entra ID sign-ins, not Windows Security Events on a VM. Also, the time filter is incorrectly placed after summarize.
- D
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | make-series Count = count() default=0 on TimeGenerated from ago(1h) to now() step 1h by Account
Why wrong: make-series is used for time series charting, not simple counts per user. This query is overly complex and does not return the required result.
SC-200 Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of mitigate threats using microsoft sentinel. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 SOC analyst is investigating a potential brute-force attack on an Azure VM. The analyst has ingested Windows Security Events into Microsoft Sentinel. Which KQL query would count the number of failed logon attempts (EventID 4625) per user account in the last hour?
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
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 and TimeGenerated > ago(1h) | summarize Count = count() by Account
Option B is correct because it filters for EventID 4625 (failed logon) and restricts the time range to the last hour before summarizing the count per Account. This ensures only relevant events are counted, and the aggregation is performed on the correct field (Account) from the SecurityEvent table, which contains Windows Security Events ingested into Sentinel.
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.
- ✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize Count = count() by Account | where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
Why it's wrong here
The time filter is applied after the summarize, which means it will not filter out older events before the aggregation, leading to incorrect results.
- ✓
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 and TimeGenerated > ago(1h) | summarize Count = count() by Account
Why this is correct
This correctly filters by event ID and time first, then summarizes counts per account.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
SigninLogs | where ResultType != 0 | summarize Count = count() by UserPrincipalName | where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
Why it's wrong here
SigninLogs table is for Microsoft Entra ID sign-ins, not Windows Security Events on a VM. Also, the time filter is incorrectly placed after summarize.
- ✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | make-series Count = count() default=0 on TimeGenerated from ago(1h) to now() step 1h by Account
Why it's wrong here
make-series is used for time series charting, not simple counts per user. This query is overly complex and does not return the required result.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often apply the time filter after the summarize operator (as in Option A), which incorrectly counts all historical data before filtering, or they confuse the SecurityEvent table with SigninLogs (Option C), which is for Azure AD sign-ins and not Windows Security Events on a VM.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The SecurityEvent table in Sentinel stores Windows Event Log data collected via the Log Analytics agent or Azure Monitor Agent. EventID 4625 corresponds to 'An account failed to log on' in the Security log, and the Account field contains the target username. The ago(1h) function uses the query's execution time to define a 1-hour window, and placing the filter before summarize ensures only recent events are aggregated, which is critical for real-time threat detection and reducing query load.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel — This question tests Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 and TimeGenerated > ago(1h) | summarize Count = count() by Account — Option B is correct because it filters for EventID 4625 (failed logon) and restricts the time range to the last hour before summarizing the count per Account. This ensures only relevant events are counted, and the aggregation is performed on the correct field (Account) from the SecurityEvent table, which contains Windows Security Events ingested into Sentinel.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SC-200 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 SC-200 exam.
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