The answer is yes, the playbook will run. This is because the automation rule condition checks the incident’s overall severity, which is derived from the highest severity alert within the incident. Even though the incident was initially created with a ‘Medium’ severity, the presence of a ‘High’ severity alert automatically elevates the incident’s severity to ‘High’, satisfying the rule’s condition. On the SC-200 exam, this concept tests your understanding that an incident’s severity is not static—it is dynamically set to the maximum alert severity, a common trap where candidates mistakenly think the rule evaluates each alert individually. Remember the memory tip: “Incident severity follows the highest alert, not the first.” This principle is critical when configuring automation rule incident severity from alerts, as it ensures your playbooks trigger on the most critical threats regardless of the incident’s initial classification.
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.
Refer to the exhibit. An automation rule is created in Microsoft Sentinel. A new incident is created with severity 'Medium' and two alerts: one 'High' and one 'Medium'. Will the playbook run?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Yes, because the incident contains a High severity alert.
The condition checks 'AlertSeverity', but an incident can have multiple alerts with different severities. The condition evaluates the incident's overall severity, which is set to the highest alert severity. Since there is a High alert, the incident severity becomes High, so condition is met.
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.
✗
No, because the incident severity is Medium.
Why it's wrong here
The incident severity is not the average; it's the highest alert severity, which is High.
✓
Yes, because the incident contains a High severity alert.
Why this is correct
The incident severity is determined by the highest alert severity, so it is High, meeting the condition.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Yes, because the playbook runs on all incidents regardless.
Why it's wrong here
The rule has a condition; it only runs when severity equals High.
✗
No, because the condition requires all alerts to be High.
Why it's wrong here
The condition is on the incident property, not individual alerts.
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: Yes, because the incident contains a High severity alert. — The condition checks 'AlertSeverity', but an incident can have multiple alerts with different severities. The condition evaluates the incident's overall severity, which is set to the highest alert severity. Since there is a High alert, the incident severity becomes High, so condition is met.
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.
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Question Discussion
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