The answer is searching the audit log for admin activities in the past 60 days and using the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to search that log. These two scenarios are correct because Audit (Standard) is designed to log and retain user and admin activities for a default retention period of 90 days, and the primary way to access these logs is through the Purview compliance portal’s search interface. On the SC-900 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between Audit (Standard) and Audit (Premium) capabilities, often appearing as a trap where you must remember that detailed custom reports and full sensitivity label event details require the Premium tier. A common mistake is assuming all audit features are available in Standard, but the key distinction is that Standard covers basic search and 90-day retention, while Premium adds longer retention, high-value events, and custom reporting. Memory tip: think “Standard = Search and 90 days” to quickly rule out Premium-only features.
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. 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 TWO scenarios are appropriate uses of Microsoft Purview Audit (Standard)?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Investigating a user who accessed a sensitive file in SharePoint.
Options B and D are correct. Audit (Standard) logs user and admin activities (B) and can be searched in the Purview compliance portal (D). Option A is wrong because detailed custom reports are part of Audit (Premium). Option C is wrong because sensitivity label events may require Audit (Premium) for full details. Option E is wrong because Audit (Standard) has a 90-day retention.
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.
✓
Investigating a user who accessed a sensitive file in SharePoint.
Why this is correct
Audit (Standard) logs file access events.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Searching the audit log for admin activities in the past 60 days.
Why this is correct
Audit (Standard) retains logs for 90 days and allows searching.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Generating custom reports with PowerShell for all activities.
Why it's wrong here
Custom PowerShell reports are limited in Audit (Standard).
✗
Tracking when sensitivity labels are applied to documents.
Why it's wrong here
Labeling events may require Audit (Premium) for detailed logging.
✗
Retaining audit logs for 2 years for compliance purposes.
Why it's wrong here
Audit (Standard) retains logs for 90 days; long retention requires Audit (Premium).
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 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.
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: Investigating a user who accessed a sensitive file in SharePoint. — Options B and D are correct. Audit (Standard) logs user and admin activities (B) and can be searched in the Purview compliance portal (D). Option A is wrong because detailed custom reports are part of Audit (Premium). Option C is wrong because sensitivity label events may require Audit (Premium) for full details. Option E is wrong because Audit (Standard) has a 90-day retention.
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. Your organization uses Microsoft Purview Audit to investigate a security incident. You need to search for activities performed by a specific user over the past 90 days. Which solution should you use?
medium
✓ A.Microsoft Purview Audit (Standard)
B.Microsoft Purview Audit (Premium)
C.Microsoft Defender XDR Advanced Hunting
D.Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Standard)
Why A: Option C is correct because Audit (Standard) provides 90-day retention for audit logs. Option A is wrong because Audit (Premium) provides longer retention but is not required. Option B is wrong because Content Search is for eDiscovery. Option D is wrong because Advanced Hunting is for Microsoft 365 Defender.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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