SC-900 Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra Practice Question
A company wants to allow employees to access corporate resources such as email and internal apps using their personal smartphones. The IT team does not want to fully manage or domain-join these devices but needs each device to have a simple identity that links the user's work account to the device. Which Microsoft Entra ID device identity option should they implement?
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 Registered
Microsoft Entra ID supports three device identity options: Registered, Joined, and Hybrid Joined. Microsoft Entra ID Registered is designed for 'bring your own device' (BYOD) scenarios. A registered device is known to Azure AD but not fully managed; it simply links the user's work account to the device, often enabling single sign-on and conditional access. Microsoft Entra ID Joined is for corporate-owned devices that are managed by MDM. Hybrid Joined requires an on-premises Active Directory. Active Directory Joined is a traditional on-premises domain join, not a cloud identity 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.
- ✓
Microsoft Entra ID Registered
Why this is correct
This option is specifically designed for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scenarios, allowing personal devices to establish a device identity in Microsoft Entra ID. It enables employees to securely access corporate resources, such as email and applications, through conditional access policies without the organization taking full management control of the device. The device is recognized and trusted, but not fully managed, making it ideal for personal devices.
- ✗
Microsoft Entra ID Joined
Why it's wrong here
This configuration is intended for corporate-owned devices that require full organizational management and control directly within Microsoft Entra ID. Devices joined in this manner are exclusively managed by Microsoft Entra ID and are typically enrolled in Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions like Microsoft Intune for comprehensive policy enforcement. This level of deep management and control is generally unsuitable and undesirable for an employee's personal device.
- ✗
Hybrid Microsoft Entra ID Joined
Why it's wrong here
Hybrid Microsoft Entra ID Joined is a configuration for corporate-owned devices that need to maintain a traditional Active Directory join for on-premises resource access while simultaneously having a device identity in Microsoft Entra ID. This dual-join state is complex, requiring synchronization between on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID, and is typically reserved for managed, corporate-owned devices in hybrid environments. It is not designed for or appropriate for personal devices due to its management overhead and requirement for corporate ownership.
When this WOULD be correct
A company with on-premises Active Directory wants devices that are both domain-joined and registered in Entra ID for SSO and conditional access, while still being managed via Group Policy. The question would specify that devices are corporate-owned and need hybrid management.
- ✗
Active Directory Joined
Why it's wrong here
Active Directory Joined refers to the traditional method of integrating a device into an on-premises Windows Server Active Directory domain. While it provides centralized authentication and management for resources within the on-premises network, it does not establish a device identity in Microsoft Entra ID. Consequently, a device joined solely to on-premises Active Directory cannot directly facilitate secure, cloud-based access to modern corporate resources without additional synchronization or federation mechanisms.
When this WOULD be correct
A company has on-premises Windows computers that need to authenticate against on-premises Active Directory for access to network resources, and there is no requirement for cloud-based identity or device management.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SC-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Microsoft Entra ID RegisteredCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
This option is specifically designed for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scenarios, allowing personal devices to establish a device identity in Microsoft Entra ID. It enables employees to securely access corporate resources, such as email and applications, through conditional access policies without the organization taking full management control of the device. The device is recognized and trusted, but not fully managed, making it ideal for personal devices.
✗Hybrid Microsoft Entra ID JoinedWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Hybrid Microsoft Entra ID Joined requires devices to be domain-joined and managed by on-premises AD with synchronization to Entra ID, which contradicts the requirement to avoid full management or domain-joining of personal smartphones.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company with on-premises Active Directory wants devices that are both domain-joined and registered in Entra ID for SSO and conditional access, while still being managed via Group Policy. The question would specify that devices are corporate-owned and need hybrid management.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think 'Hybrid' implies a middle ground between registered and joined, or they may confuse it with the ability to support personal devices, not realizing it still requires domain join and full management.
✗Active Directory JoinedWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Active Directory Joined requires devices to be domain-joined to an on-premises Active Directory, which involves full management and does not support personal smartphones that are not domain-joined. The question specifies that devices should not be fully managed or domain-joined.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company has on-premises Windows computers that need to authenticate against on-premises Active Directory for access to network resources, and there is no requirement for cloud-based identity or device management.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse Active Directory Joined with Microsoft Entra ID Joined, thinking that any device identity option that links a user account to a device must involve traditional domain joining, especially if they are more familiar with on-premises AD than cloud identity solutions.
Analysis generated from the official SC-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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
BYOD
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is a policy allowing employees to use their personal devices for work tasks, increasing flexibility but introducing security and management challenges.
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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.