The answer is a Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID. This is correct because Conditional Access acts as the gatekeeper that evaluates signals—including device compliance status reported by Microsoft Intune—before granting access to cloud apps like Exchange Online. When you configure a policy to require compliant device for email access, only devices marked as compliant by Intune can authenticate and retrieve corporate email. On the SC-900 exam, this tests your understanding of how identity-driven access controls integrate with device management; a common trap is confusing Intune compliance policies (which define what "compliant" means) with the Conditional Access policy that actually enforces the requirement. Remember: Intune sets the rules, but Conditional Access enforces the gate. Memory tip: think of Conditional Access as the bouncer checking your ID (compliance status) at the door to the email club.
SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft security solutions. 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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that only compliant devices can access corporate email. Which policy should you configure?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID
Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID evaluate signals such as device compliance status from Intune before granting access to cloud apps like Exchange Online. By configuring a Conditional Access policy that requires device compliance, only devices marked as compliant by Intune can access corporate email. This is the correct mechanism because Conditional Access acts as the gatekeeper that enforces the compliance requirement at the authentication and authorization layer.
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.
✗
Device compliance policy in Microsoft Intune
Why it's wrong here
Compliance policies define the rules for compliance but do not gate access themselves.
✗
Enrollment restrictions in Microsoft Intune
Why it's wrong here
Enrollment restrictions control which devices can enroll, not access to email.
✗
App protection policy in Microsoft Intune
Why it's wrong here
App protection policies manage data access within apps, not device-level access.
✓
Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID
Why this is correct
Conditional Access enforces access controls based on device compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the policy that defines compliance (Intune Device Compliance) with the policy that enforces access based on that compliance (Entra ID Conditional Access), leading them to pick Option A instead of D.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Conditional Access policies use the Microsoft Entra ID authentication pipeline to check device compliance via the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control. This control triggers a call to Intune's compliance service during authentication; if the device is non-compliant, access is blocked or limited (e.g., requiring re-enrollment). A real-world scenario is a lost or jailbroken device: the compliance policy detects the jailbreak, marks the device non-compliant, and Conditional Access immediately revokes email access without needing to wipe the device.
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 security solutions — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID — Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID evaluate signals such as device compliance status from Intune before granting access to cloud apps like Exchange Online. By configuring a Conditional Access policy that requires device compliance, only devices marked as compliant by Intune can access corporate email. This is the correct mechanism because Conditional Access acts as the gatekeeper that enforces the compliance requirement at the authentication and authorization layer.
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.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that only compliant devices can access corporate email. Which Microsoft Entra ID feature should you use?
easy
✓ A.Conditional Access
B.Privileged Identity Management
C.Self-Service Password Reset
D.Identity Protection
Why A: Option A is correct because Conditional Access in Microsoft Entra ID can enforce device compliance for access. Option B is wrong because Identity Protection handles risk, not compliance. Option C is wrong because Privileged Identity Management manages privileged roles. Option D is wrong because Self-Service Password Reset is for password reset.
Variation 2. Your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that only compliant devices can access corporate email. What should you configure?
medium
A.A device compliance policy
✓ B.A conditional access policy
C.A device configuration policy
D.An app protection policy
Why B: Conditional access policies in Microsoft Entra ID can require device compliance for accessing cloud apps like Exchange Online. Option D is correct. Option A is wrong because compliance policies only define compliance, they don't enforce access. Option B is wrong because device configuration policies set settings, not access. Option C is wrong because app protection policies manage data, not device compliance.
Variation 3. Your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that only compliant devices can access corporate email via the Outlook mobile app. Which policy type should you configure?
medium
A.Device configuration policies
B.App protection policies
C.Device compliance policies
✓ D.Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID
Why D: Option D is correct because Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID can enforce device compliance before granting access to cloud apps like Outlook. Option A is wrong because compliance policies define what compliance means but do not enforce access control. Option B is wrong because app protection policies (MAM) protect data within apps but do not require device compliance. Option C is wrong because device configuration policies configure device settings, not access control.
Variation 4. Your organization uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that only devices with a passcode can access corporate email. What should you configure?
easy
A.Device configuration policy
B.Enrollment restrictions
✓ C.Device compliance policy
D.App protection policy
Why C: Compliance policies in Intune define the conditions devices must meet to be considered compliant, such as requiring a passcode. Conditional Access policies then enforce access based on compliance. Option B is incorrect because app protection policies manage data within apps, not device-level requirements. Option C is incorrect because device configuration policies set device settings but do not enforce compliance. Option D is incorrect because enrollment restrictions control which devices can enroll.
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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.
Question Discussion
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