Question 498 of 1,411

Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

PIM: Grant Temporary Password Reset Permissions with Approval Workflow

This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft entra. 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.

A company uses Microsoft Entra ID. A junior administrator needs to occasionally reset passwords for the IT department. The security team wants to grant this permission only for a limited time and require an approval from a senior administrator before the permission becomes active. All password reset actions must be audited. Which Microsoft Entra ID feature should they configure?

A
Entra ID Identity Protection
Why wrong: Identity Protection identifies and remediates identity-based risks, not manage role permissions or approvals.
B
Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
PIM enables just-in-time role activation with approval workflows, time limits, and detailed audit logs, exactly matching the requirement.
C
Entra ID Conditional Access
Why wrong: Conditional Access policies control access to resources based on conditions like location or device state, not for activating administrative roles with approval.
D
Entra ID Terms of Use
Why wrong: Terms of Use is used to present a document that users must accept before accessing an application, not for managing role permissions.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM)

Privileged Identity Management (PIM) provides just-in-time (JIT) privileged access, allowing the junior administrator to request a time-limited role for password reset that requires approval from a senior administrator. PIM also enables auditing of all role activations and actions, meeting the security team's requirements for limited duration, approval workflow, and auditability.

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.

✗
Entra ID Identity Protection
Why it's wrong here
Identity Protection identifies and remediates identity-based risks, not manage role permissions or approvals.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to automatically detect and block risky sign-in attempts, such as those from anonymous IP addresses or with leaked credentials, and require multi-factor authentication for high-risk users.
✓
Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Why this is correct
PIM enables just-in-time role activation with approval workflows, time limits, and detailed audit logs, exactly matching the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Entra ID Conditional Access
Why it's wrong here
Conditional Access policies control access to resources based on conditions like location or device state, not for activating administrative roles with approval.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to require multi-factor authentication when administrators reset passwords from outside the corporate network. Conditional Access would be the correct feature to enforce this policy.
✗
Entra ID Terms of Use
Why it's wrong here
Terms of Use is used to present a document that users must accept before accessing an application, not for managing role permissions.

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.

✓Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM)Correct answer▾

Why this is correct

PIM enables just-in-time role activation with approval workflows, time limits, and detailed audit logs, exactly matching the requirement.

✗Entra ID Identity ProtectionWrong answer — click to see why▾

Why this is wrong here

Entra ID Identity Protection is designed to detect and respond to identity-based risks, such as compromised credentials or suspicious sign-ins, not to manage time-limited, approval-based permissions for password resets.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A company wants to automatically detect and block risky sign-in attempts, such as those from anonymous IP addresses or with leaked credentials, and require multi-factor authentication for high-risk users.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may confuse Identity Protection's risk-based policies with the ability to control permissions, or think it includes privileged access management features.

✗Entra ID Conditional AccessWrong answer — click to see why▾

Why this is wrong here

Conditional Access controls access based on conditions like location or device state, but does not provide time-limited, approval-based role activation or auditing of specific actions like password reset.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A company wants to require multi-factor authentication when administrators reset passwords from outside the corporate network. Conditional Access would be the correct feature to enforce this policy.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may confuse Conditional Access with Privileged Identity Management because both involve security policies, but Conditional Access focuses on access conditions, not just-in-time privileged role activation.

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 PIM with Conditional Access, thinking that Conditional Access can enforce time-limited permissions, but Conditional Access controls access to resources based on conditions, not the activation or approval of privileged roles.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

PIM leverages Azure AD roles and Azure resource roles with activation policies that define maximum duration (e.g., 1–8 hours), approval requirements, and justification. Under the hood, PIM uses Azure AD audit logs to capture every activation request, approval, and role assignment change, ensuring compliance with standards like SOC 2. In a real-world scenario, a junior admin might activate the 'Helpdesk Administrator' role for 4 hours with a senior admin's approval, and all password reset actions are logged via the 'Audit Logs' in Entra ID.

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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) — Privileged Identity Management (PIM) provides just-in-time (JIT) privileged access, allowing the junior administrator to request a time-limited role for password reset that requires approval from a senior administrator. PIM also enables auditing of all role activations and actions, meeting the security team's requirements for limited duration, approval workflow, and auditability.

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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