SC-900 Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra Practice Question
A company has a hybrid identity environment with Active Directory synchronizing to Microsoft Entra ID. They want users to be able to reset their own on-premises passwords via the cloud SSPR portal. What is the minimum license required for this capability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume Microsoft Entra ID Free or a basic Microsoft 365 license is sufficient for SSPR, forgetting that password writeback to on-premises AD is a premium feature requiring at least P1.
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
✓
Microsoft Entra ID P1
Microsoft Entra ID P1 is the minimum license required for password writeback, which enables users to reset their on-premises Active Directory passwords via the cloud SSPR portal. This feature requires Microsoft Entra ID P1 or higher because it involves synchronizing password changes back to on-premises AD using Microsoft Entra Connect.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Microsoft Entra ID Free
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Entra ID Free provides Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) capabilities exclusively for cloud-only user accounts. It explicitly lacks the crucial feature of password writeback, which is essential for synchronizing password changes made in the cloud back to an on-premises Active Directory environment. Therefore, in a hybrid identity scenario where users need to reset their on-premises AD passwords via Entra ID, this license tier is insufficient.
- ✓
Microsoft Entra ID P1
Why this is correct
Microsoft Entra ID P1 is the minimum required license tier to enable Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) with password writeback in a hybrid identity environment. This tier provides the necessary functionality to allow users to reset their passwords in the cloud, and then have those changes securely synchronized back to their corresponding accounts in the on-premises Active Directory. This ensures a consistent password across both environments and fulfills the requirements of the question.
- ✗
Microsoft Entra ID P2
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Entra ID P2 certainly includes all the capabilities of P1, such as Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) with password writeback, making it technically capable of meeting the requirement. However, P2 also incorporates advanced features like Identity Protection and Identity Governance, which are not necessary solely for enabling SSPR with password writeback. While it would function, it represents an over-provisioning of licenses for the specific need outlined, as P1 provides the minimum required functionality.
- ✗
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft 365 Business Basic primarily offers productivity services and includes the foundational Microsoft Entra ID Free license. As established, Microsoft Entra ID Free does not support password writeback to on-premises Active Directory. Consequently, any organization relying on Microsoft 365 Business Basic alone in a hybrid environment would be unable to provide Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) functionality that synchronizes password changes back to their on-premises domain controllers, rendering it unsuitable for this scenario.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Identity Concepts
Key term
Identity
Identity is the unique set of attributes that defines a user, device, or service in a computer system, determining what they can access and do.
Key term
Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management service that lets employees sign in and access resources both inside and outside of your organization.
About these practice questions
One of 1,250 original SC-900 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-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 SC-900 exam.