The correct answer is the top 5 incident owners by number of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days. This is because the KQL query for top incident owners in Microsoft Sentinel uses the `summarize` operator with `count()` grouped by `Owner`, then applies `top 5 by count_` to rank owners, while the `where` clause filters for `Severity == 'High'` and `TimeGenerated > ago(7d)`, ensuring only recent high-severity incidents are counted. On the SC-200 exam, this tests your ability to read KQL query logic step-by-step, especially the order of filters versus aggregations—a common trap is misreading the `top` operator as applying before the severity filter, but the filter runs first. Remember the mnemonic: "Filter first, then summarize, then top"—or "FST" for short—to avoid reversing the pipeline.
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```kql
SecurityIncident
| where TimeGenerated > ago(7d)
| where Severity == "High"
| summarize Count = count() by Owner
| top 5 by Count
```
Refer to the exhibit. You run this KQL query in Microsoft Sentinel. What does it return?
Refer to the exhibit.
```kql
SecurityIncident
| where TimeGenerated > ago(7d)
| where Severity == "High"
| summarize Count = count() by Owner
| top 5 by Count
```
A
Number of high-severity incidents per status.
Why wrong: The query groups by Owner, not Status.
B
Total count of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days.
Why wrong: The query groups by Owner, not total count.
C
Top 5 incident owners by number of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Top 5 incident owners by number of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days.
The KQL query uses `summarize` with `count()` by `Owner`, then `top 5 by count_`, and filters with `where Severity == 'High'` and `TimeGenerated > ago(7d)`. This returns the top 5 incident owners ranked by the number of high-severity incidents they own in the last 7 days, making option C correct.
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.
✗
Number of high-severity incidents per status.
Why it's wrong here
The query groups by Owner, not Status.
✗
Total count of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days.
Why it's wrong here
The query groups by Owner, not total count.
✓
Top 5 incident owners by number of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days.
Why this is correct
The query summarizes by Owner and returns top 5.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Top 5 users assigned to high-severity incidents.
Why it's wrong here
The field is Owner, not AssignedTo.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse `Owner` (the incident owner, often a person or automation rule) with `User` (a user entity involved in the incident), leading them to pick option D, which incorrectly assumes the query returns users assigned to incidents rather than owners.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `top 5 by count_` operator in KQL internally sorts the aggregated results by the `count_` column in descending order and returns the first 5 rows. The `ago(7d)` function uses the UTC time of the Sentinel workspace, so time zone differences can affect results if the query is run near the boundary. In real-world SOC operations, this query helps identify analysts who are overloaded with high-severity incidents, enabling workload balancing.
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
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.
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Top 5 incident owners by number of high-severity incidents in the last 7 days. — The KQL query uses `summarize` with `count()` by `Owner`, then `top 5 by count_`, and filters with `where Severity == 'High'` and `TimeGenerated > ago(7d)`. This returns the top 5 incident owners ranked by the number of high-severity incidents they own in the last 7 days, making option C correct.
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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