Microsoft Purview Retention Policy: KeepAndDelete Explained
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft compliance solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: keepAndDelete retention type. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. The JSON shows a Microsoft Purview retention policy configuration. After applying this policy, an administrator notices that emails in user mailboxes older than one year are being permanently deleted instead of being retained. Which setting should the administrator check first to resolve this issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The 'RetentionType' is set to 'KeepAndDelete', which deletes after retention period.
The correct answer is A because the 'KeepAndDelete' retention type retains items for the specified duration and then permanently deletes them. In this scenario, emails older than one year are deleted after the 365-day retention period expires. Checking the 'RetentionType' setting is the first step to identify why emails are being deleted instead of retained.
Option B is incorrect because the 'Locations' array includes all necessary workloads (Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive). The issue is not related to missing workloads.
Option C is incorrect because the 'RetentionDuration' of 365 days is appropriate for a one-year retention policy. The problem is the retention type, not the duration.
Option D is incorrect because the 'RetentionTrigger' set to 'When items were created' is standard for email retention. Changing it to 'last modified' would not prevent deletion; the deletion occurs due to the 'KeepAndDelete' type, not the trigger.
Key principle: KeepAndDelete retention type
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The 'RetentionType' is set to 'KeepAndDelete', which deletes after retention period.
Why this is correct
Correct: 'KeepAndDelete' retains for the duration then deletes, explaining why emails older than one year are permanently deleted.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
KeepAndDelete retention type
✗
The 'Locations' array does not include all necessary workloads.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The 'Locations' array covers all necessary workloads; the issue is not missing locations.
✗
The 'RetentionDuration' is too short for email retention.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The retention duration of 365 days is correct for a one-year policy; the problem is the deletion action due to retention type.
✗
The 'RetentionTrigger' should be 'When items were last modified' instead of 'created'.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The trigger 'When items were created' is standard; changing to 'last modified' would not prevent deletion from 'KeepAndDelete'.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common trap is focusing on the retention duration (365 days) or trigger conditions without noticing that the retention type 'KeepAndDelete' causes deletion after the retention period expires. The question emphasizes that emails older than one year are being deleted, which aligns with the 'Delete' action in 'KeepAndDelete'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
KeepAndDelete retention type
Retention duration
Retention trigger
Policy locations
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
KeepAndDelete retention type
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. KeepAndDelete retention type Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Visual reference
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 compliance solutions — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions — KeepAndDelete retention type.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The 'RetentionType' is set to 'KeepAndDelete', which deletes after retention period. — The correct answer is A because the 'KeepAndDelete' retention type retains items for the specified duration and then permanently deletes them. In this scenario, emails older than one year are deleted after the 365-day retention period expires. Checking the 'RetentionType' setting is the first step to identify why emails are being deleted instead of retained.
Option B is incorrect because the 'Locations' array includes all necessary workloads (Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive). The issue is not related to missing workloads.
Option C is incorrect because the 'RetentionDuration' of 365 days is appropriate for a one-year retention policy. The problem is the retention type, not the duration.
Option D is incorrect because the 'RetentionTrigger' set to 'When items were created' is standard for email retention. Changing it to 'last modified' would not prevent deletion; the deletion occurs due to the 'KeepAndDelete' type, not the trigger.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?
Review keepAndDelete retention type, then practise related SC-900 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
KeepAndDelete retention type
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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. Refer to the exhibit. You are evaluating a Microsoft Purview retention policy. The policy is applied to Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. What is the behavior of this policy?
hard
A.Items are retained indefinitely and cannot be deleted
B.Items are deleted 365 days after last modification
C.Items are preserved with a lock and cannot be deleted by users
✓ D.Items are automatically deleted 365 days after creation
Why D: Option D is correct because the retention policy shown in the exhibit specifies 'Delete items automatically after 365 days from creation date.' This means that once an item reaches 365 days from its creation date (not last modification), it will be permanently deleted from Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. The policy does not include a retention period to preserve items; it only deletes them after the specified age.
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Question Discussion
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