The correct behavior is that items are automatically deleted 365 days after creation. This outcome occurs because the retention policy is configured to retain content for one year from the date it was created, and without preservation lock, the system enforces that retention period but does not prevent users from manually deleting items earlier—though any such deletion is overridden by the policy, which holds the data until the 365-day mark. On the SC-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how retention policies function when preservation lock is not applied, a common trap being the assumption that users can permanently remove items before the retention period ends. Remember that without preservation lock, the policy is mutable and user deletions are allowed but ineffective; the system still retains and then deletes automatically. A helpful memory tip: “No lock, no block—users can delete, but the clock still ticks to the delete.”
SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft compliance solutions. 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. 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.
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?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Items are automatically deleted 365 days after creation
The policy retains items for 365 days from creation and then deletes them. Without preservation lock, users can delete items before 365 days, but the system retains them until the period ends. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because it says items are kept indefinitely. Option B is wrong because deletion triggers after 365 days. Option D is wrong because preservation lock is false.
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.
✗
Items are retained indefinitely and cannot be deleted
Why it's wrong here
The policy has a retention duration of 365 days, not indefinite.
✗
Items are deleted 365 days after last modification
Why it's wrong here
RetentionTrigger is WhenCreated, not last modification.
✗
Items are preserved with a lock and cannot be deleted by users
Why it's wrong here
PreservationLock is false, so users can delete items before the period ends.
✓
Items are automatically deleted 365 days after creation
Why this is correct
RetentionDuration is 365, trigger is WhenCreated, action is Delete.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 question in full detail.
Identify which SC-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Items are automatically deleted 365 days after creation — The policy retains items for 365 days from creation and then deletes them. Without preservation lock, users can delete items before 365 days, but the system retains them until the period ends. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because it says items are kept indefinitely. Option B is wrong because deletion triggers after 365 days. Option D is wrong because preservation lock is false.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?
Identify which SC-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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. 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?
hard
✓ A.The 'RetentionType' is set to 'KeepAndDelete', which deletes after retention period.
B.The 'Locations' array does not include all necessary workloads.
C.The 'RetentionDuration' is too short for email retention.
D.The 'RetentionTrigger' should be 'When items were last modified' instead of 'created'.
Why A: Option C is correct because the 'RetentionType' set to 'KeepAndDelete' means items are retained for the duration and then permanently deleted. Option A is wrong because the location list is correct. Option B is wrong because the trigger is valid. Option D is wrong because the duration is correctly set to 365 days.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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