KQL Query: Return Incident IDs for High-Severity Alerts with Incidents
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft security solutions. 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
let HighSeverityAlerts = Alert
| where AlertSeverity == "High"
| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h);
let CorrelatedIncidents = HighSeverityAlerts
| join kind=inner (Incident) on $left.AlertId == $right.AlertId
| project IncidentId, AlertId, AlertSeverity, IncidentStatus;
CorrelatedIncidents
| where IncidentStatus != "Closed"
```
Refer to the exhibit. You are a security analyst using Microsoft Sentinel. You run this KQL query. What does the query return?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```kql
let HighSeverityAlerts = Alert
| where AlertSeverity == "High"
| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h);
let CorrelatedIncidents = HighSeverityAlerts
| join kind=inner (Incident) on $left.AlertId == $right.AlertId
| project IncidentId, AlertId, AlertSeverity, IncidentStatus;
CorrelatedIncidents
| where IncidentStatus != "Closed"
```
A
High-severity alerts that do not have an incident assigned.
Why wrong: The query joins alerts with incidents, so it only shows alerts that do have incidents.
B
High-severity alerts that were closed within the last hour.
Why wrong: The query filters on TimeGenerated for alerts, not incident closure time.
C
Incident IDs for high-severity alerts that have an open incident.
The query filters for high-severity alerts, joins with incidents, and filters out closed ones.
D
All incidents created in the last hour.
Why wrong: Only incidents related to high-severity alerts and not closed are returned.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Incident IDs for high-severity alerts that have an open incident.
The KQL query filters alerts with a severity of 'High' and then projects only the IncidentId for those alerts where the IncidentId is not empty (i.e., an incident has been assigned). This returns the Incident IDs for high-severity alerts that have an open incident, 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.
✗
High-severity alerts that do not have an incident assigned.
Why it's wrong here
The query joins alerts with incidents, so it only shows alerts that do have incidents.
✗
High-severity alerts that were closed within the last hour.
Why it's wrong here
The query filters on TimeGenerated for alerts, not incident closure time.
✓
Incident IDs for high-severity alerts that have an open incident.
Why this is correct
The query filters for high-severity alerts, joins with incidents, and filters out closed ones.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
All incidents created in the last hour.
Why it's wrong here
Only incidents related to high-severity alerts and not closed are returned.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'alerts with an incident assigned' with 'alerts without an incident' or 'all incidents,' overlooking the specific filter on IncidentId and the projection of IncidentId only.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The query joins alerts with incidents, so it only shows alerts that do have incidents.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Microsoft Sentinel, alerts are generated by analytics rules and can be grouped into incidents for investigation. The `where isnotempty(IncidentId)` clause ensures only alerts that have been assigned to an incident are returned, as IncidentId is a field populated when an alert is linked to an incident. This query is commonly used in security operations to identify high-severity alerts that are actively being investigated within an incident, helping analysts prioritize response efforts.
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-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: Incident IDs for high-severity alerts that have an open incident. — The KQL query filters alerts with a severity of 'High' and then projects only the IncidentId for those alerts where the IncidentId is not empty (i.e., an incident has been assigned). This returns the Incident IDs for high-severity alerts that have an open incident, making Option C correct.
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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