The answer is that three conditions must be met: the automation rule must have the 'Run playbook' action, the playbook must use an incident trigger (specifically the Microsoft Sentinel Incident trigger with the "when incident is updated" option), and the playbook must be assigned to that automation rule. This works because the automation rule acts as the orchestrator—it detects the incident update event and calls the assigned playbook, which then executes its logic to close the incident. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of the automation rule lifecycle versus the playbook trigger itself; a common trap is thinking the playbook’s trigger alone is sufficient, but without the automation rule’s 'Run playbook' action, the playbook will never be invoked automatically. Another trap is confusing the incident creation trigger with the update trigger—automated closure requires the update trigger. For memory, think of the "Three A's": Action (Run playbook), Assignment (playbook linked to rule), and Automation rule (with incident creation enabled).
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. 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.
Which THREE conditions must be met for a Microsoft Sentinel incident to be automatically closed by a playbook?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The playbook must have the 'Microsoft Sentinel Incident' connector with 'Update incident' action.
The playbook must have a trigger for incident update, the rule must have automatic incident creation enabled, and the playbook must be assigned to the automation rule. Closing reason and classification are not required but may be set.
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.
✓
The playbook must have the 'Microsoft Sentinel Incident' connector with 'Update incident' action.
Why this is correct
To close, the playbook needs to update the incident status.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
The analytics rule that generated the incident must have 'Create incident' enabled.
Why this is correct
Only incidents created by rules with this setting can be automatically closed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
The automation rule must have the 'Run playbook' action.
Why this is correct
The automation rule executes the playbook.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The incident must have a classification set.
Why it's wrong here
Classification is optional; the playbook can set it.
✗
The playbook must be triggered on incident creation.
Why it's wrong here
To close an incident, the playbook should be triggered on incident update, not creation.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The playbook must have the 'Microsoft Sentinel Incident' connector with 'Update incident' action. — The playbook must have a trigger for incident update, the rule must have automatic incident creation enabled, and the playbook must be assigned to the automation rule. Closing reason and classification are not required but may be set.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which THREE conditions must be met for Microsoft Sentinel to automatically run a playbook on an incident?
hard
A.The incident severity must be set to High or Critical
✓ B.The playbook must have the Sentinel Responder role assigned
✓ C.The incident must be created by a scheduled or NRT analytics rule
D.The user must be signed in to the Azure portal
✓ E.The playbook must be set to 'Enabled' on the automation rule
Why B: The playbook must be enabled for automatic triggers, the incident must be created by an analytics rule, and the playbook must have the correct permissions. The user does not need to be signed in, and the incident does not need to be of a specific severity.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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