The answer is the ability to search for content across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business, along with placing holds and exporting results to PST files. These three actions form the core workflow of Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: you first search across data sources, then preserve relevant content with legal holds, and finally export results for offline review. On the SC-900 exam, this tests your understanding of eDiscovery’s lifecycle—search, hold, and export—rather than advanced features like advanced indexing or machine learning models. A common trap is confusing eDiscovery’s export-to-PST capability with data loss prevention or retention policies, which manage data lifecycle differently. Remember the mnemonic SHE: Search, Hold, Export—the three pillars that define eDiscovery’s core capabilities.
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. 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.
Which THREE of the following are capabilities of Microsoft Purview eDiscovery? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Export search results to a PST file
Option B is correct because Microsoft Purview eDiscovery includes the capability to export search results to a PST file, allowing investigators to preserve and review mailbox content offline. This is a standard feature in both eDiscovery (Standard) and eDiscovery (Premium) for exporting Exchange Online data.
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.
✗
Block sharing of sensitive data via email
Why it's wrong here
Blocking is a DLP feature, not eDiscovery.
✓
Export search results to a PST file
Why this is correct
eDiscovery supports exporting results to PST.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Place a legal hold on mailboxes and sites
Why this is correct
eDiscovery can place holds for litigation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Automatically delete emails older than 7 years
Why it's wrong here
Automatic deletion is handled by retention policies, not eDiscovery.
✓
Search for content across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business
Why this is correct
eDiscovery can search across these locations.
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 confuse eDiscovery's search and hold capabilities with retention or DLP features, leading them to select options like automatic deletion or blocking sensitive data, which belong to separate Purview solutions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
eDiscovery uses Content Search to query across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business via the Microsoft Graph API, supporting KQL-based queries. The export process creates a PST file by mapping mailbox items to the .pst format using the Exchange Web Services (EWS) protocol, which preserves folder structure and metadata. In eDiscovery (Premium), exports can also include native files and review sets for advanced analysis.
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: Export search results to a PST file — Option B is correct because Microsoft Purview eDiscovery includes the capability to export search results to a PST file, allowing investigators to preserve and review mailbox content offline. This is a standard feature in both eDiscovery (Standard) and eDiscovery (Premium) for exporting Exchange Online data.
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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