- A
Password hash synchronization
Why wrong: Password hash synchronization is a feature of Microsoft Entra Connect that synchronizes password hashes from on-premises AD to Microsoft Entra ID for hybrid identity. It does not enforce password policies.
- B
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
Correct. Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection blocks weak passwords and their common variants, including custom banned lists. It is the appropriate feature for enforcing strong password choices beyond default complexity.
- C
Self-Service Password Reset
Why wrong: Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) allows users to reset their own passwords when forgotten, but it does not prevent users from choosing weak passwords during the reset or initial set.
- D
Conditional Access
Why wrong: Conditional Access policies enforce access controls based on signals like user, location, and device state. They do not verify password strength or block weak passwords.
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft entra. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: microsoft Entra ID Password Protection. 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 uses Microsoft Entra ID. The security team wants to enforce a policy that prevents users from choosing commonly used weak passwords like 'Winter2024!' or 'Password@123', and also blocks customized variants based on organizational context (e.g., company name). Users must create passwords that meet standard complexity requirements. Which Microsoft Entra ID feature should they enable?
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 Password Protection
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection (B) is the correct feature because it specifically enforces custom banned password lists that block weak passwords like 'Winter2024!' and organizational variants such as the company name. It works alongside standard password complexity requirements to prevent users from choosing passwords that appear on a global banned list or a tenant-specific custom list. This directly addresses the security team's need to block commonly used weak passwords and context-based variants.
Key principle: Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Password hash synchronization
Why it's wrong here
Password hash synchronization is a feature of Microsoft Entra Connect that synchronizes password hashes from on-premises AD to Microsoft Entra ID for hybrid identity. It does not enforce password policies.
When this WOULD be correct
In a hybrid identity scenario where the organization wants to enable cloud authentication for users synced from on-premises AD, enabling password hash synchronization would be the correct answer.
- ✓
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
Why this is correct
Correct. Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection blocks weak passwords and their common variants, including custom banned lists. It is the appropriate feature for enforcing strong password choices beyond default complexity.
Related concept
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
- ✗
Self-Service Password Reset
Why it's wrong here
Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) allows users to reset their own passwords when forgotten, but it does not prevent users from choosing weak passwords during the reset or initial set.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to enable users to reset their forgotten passwords without IT helpdesk intervention, while still requiring multi-factor authentication for the reset process. The correct answer would be Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) with appropriate authentication methods.
- ✗
Conditional Access
Why it's wrong here
Conditional Access policies enforce access controls based on signals like user, location, and device state. They do not verify password strength or block weak passwords.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to require multi-factor authentication when users sign in from untrusted locations or devices. Which Microsoft Entra ID feature should they use?
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 Password ProtectionCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Correct. Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection blocks weak passwords and their common variants, including custom banned lists. It is the appropriate feature for enforcing strong password choices beyond default complexity.
✗Password hash synchronizationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Password hash synchronization is a feature for syncing password hashes from on-premises AD to Entra ID for authentication, not for enforcing password policies like blocking weak or context-specific passwords.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a hybrid identity scenario where the organization wants to enable cloud authentication for users synced from on-premises AD, enabling password hash synchronization would be the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse password policy enforcement with password synchronization, thinking that syncing hashes also applies policy checks, or they may misremember the name of the password protection feature.
✗Self-Service Password ResetWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) allows users to reset their own passwords but does not enforce password policies that block weak or context-specific passwords. The question asks for a feature to prevent weak passwords, which is handled by Password Protection, not SSPR.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to enable users to reset their forgotten passwords without IT helpdesk intervention, while still requiring multi-factor authentication for the reset process. The correct answer would be Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) with appropriate authentication methods.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse SSPR with password policy enforcement because both relate to password management, or they might think SSPR includes policy checks when it only facilitates password changes.
✗Conditional AccessWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Conditional Access is used to enforce access controls based on signals like user location or device state, not to enforce password complexity or block weak passwords.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to require multi-factor authentication when users sign in from untrusted locations or devices. Which Microsoft Entra ID feature should they use?
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse policy enforcement for password strength with broader access control policies, assuming Conditional Access can handle password rules.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) with password policy enforcement, but SSPR only facilitates password changes and does not block weak passwords; the actual blocking is done by Password Protection, which is a separate feature.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection uses a global banned password list (updated dynamically from Microsoft's telemetry) and a tenant-specific custom banned password list (up to 1000 entries) that can include substrings like the company name. When a user sets or resets a password, the feature performs a fuzzy matching algorithm that normalizes the password (e.g., converts to lowercase, removes common substitutions like '0' for 'o') and checks it against both lists. This prevents even clever variants like 'C0mpany2024!' from being accepted, while still allowing users to meet standard complexity rules (length, uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols).
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
- Global banned password list
- Custom banned password list
- Password complexity requirements
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
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review microsoft Entra ID Password Protection, then practise related SC-900 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-900 question test?
Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection — Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection (B) is the correct feature because it specifically enforces custom banned password lists that block weak passwords like 'Winter2024!' and organizational variants such as the company name. It works alongside standard password complexity requirements to prevent users from choosing passwords that appear on a global banned list or a tenant-specific custom list. This directly addresses the security team's need to block commonly used weak passwords and context-based variants.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?
Review microsoft Entra ID Password Protection, then practise related SC-900 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Microsoft Entra ID Password Protection
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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