SC-900 Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra Practice Question
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft entra. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
A company wants to block all sign-ins using legacy authentication protocols because these protocols do not support multi-factor authentication (MFA). Which component of a Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policy should be configured to achieve this?
Why wrong: This setting determines which applications or user actions the policy applies to, not the authentication protocol used by clients.
B
Conditions (Client apps)
The Conditions section includes a Client apps filter that can block legacy authentication protocols, effectively enforcing the use of modern authenticating clients.
C
Grant
Why wrong: Grant controls define what must be satisfied for access (e.g., require MFA), but they do not specifically block legacy authentication protocols.
D
Session
Why wrong: Session controls manage token lifetime and sign-in frequency after successful authentication, not the initial authentication protocol.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conditions (Client apps)
To block legacy authentication protocols, you configure the 'Client apps' condition in a Conditional Access policy. This setting allows you to target specific authentication clients, such as Exchange ActiveSync, POP3, IMAP, and SMTP, which do not support MFA. By selecting 'Exchange ActiveSync clients' and 'Other clients' under the Client apps condition, you can enforce a block on all sign-ins using these legacy protocols.
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.
✗
Cloud apps or actions
Why it's wrong here
This setting determines which applications or user actions the policy applies to, not the authentication protocol used by clients.
✓
Conditions (Client apps)
Why this is correct
The Conditions section includes a Client apps filter that can block legacy authentication protocols, effectively enforcing the use of modern authenticating clients.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Grant
Why it's wrong here
Grant controls define what must be satisfied for access (e.g., require MFA), but they do not specifically block legacy authentication protocols.
✗
Session
Why it's wrong here
Session controls manage token lifetime and sign-in frequency after successful authentication, not the initial authentication protocol.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Client apps' with 'Cloud apps or actions', thinking they need to select the specific legacy app (like Exchange Online) rather than the authentication client type, which is the correct way to block the protocol itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Legacy authentication protocols like POP3, IMAP, SMTP, and older versions of Exchange ActiveSync do not support modern authentication flows (OAuth 2.0) and thus cannot enforce MFA. The 'Client apps' condition in Conditional Access allows you to block these protocols by targeting 'Exchange ActiveSync clients' and 'Other clients' (which includes POP3, IMAP, SMTP). This is critical because attackers often exploit legacy protocols to bypass MFA, as seen in password spray attacks against SMTP or IMAP.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 question in full detail.
Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conditions (Client apps) — To block legacy authentication protocols, you configure the 'Client apps' condition in a Conditional Access policy. This setting allows you to target specific authentication clients, such as Exchange ActiveSync, POP3, IMAP, and SMTP, which do not support MFA. By selecting 'Exchange ActiveSync clients' and 'Other clients' under the Client apps condition, you can enforce a block on all sign-ins using these legacy protocols.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 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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Question Discussion
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