This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft entra. 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.
Your company is migrating from on-premises Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID. You need to synchronize user passwords and enable password writeback for self-service password reset. Which tool should you use?
Microsoft Entra admin center
Why wrong: Admin center is for management, not synchronization.
Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
Entra Connect Sync synchronizes identities and supports password hash sync and writeback.
Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
Why wrong: AD FS provides federation but does not synchronize passwords.
Azure AD Connect (deprecated)
Why wrong: Azure AD Connect is deprecated; use Microsoft Entra Connect Sync.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
Microsoft Entra Connect Sync (formerly Azure AD Connect) is the correct tool because it synchronizes on-premises Active Directory objects, including password hashes, to Microsoft Entra ID and supports password writeback, which enables self-service password reset (SSPR) to write changed passwords back to on-premises AD. The question specifically requires both password synchronization and writeback, which are core features of Entra Connect Sync.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Microsoft Entra admin center
Why it's wrong here
Admin center is for management, not synchronization.
Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
Why this is correct
Entra Connect Sync synchronizes identities and supports password hash sync and writeback.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
Why it's wrong here
AD FS provides federation but does not synchronize passwords.
Azure AD Connect (deprecated)
Why it's wrong here
Azure AD Connect is deprecated; use Microsoft Entra Connect Sync.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the deprecated name 'Azure AD Connect' (Option D) with the current tool, or mistakenly think that AD FS (Option C) can handle password synchronization and writeback, when in fact AD FS only handles authentication federation and not directory synchronization or writeback operations.
Detailed technical explanation
Password hash synchronization (PHS) works by hashing the on-premises password using a one-way MD4 hash, then synchronizing it to Microsoft Entra ID via a secure HTTPS channel. Password writeback requires the service account to have the 'Reset Password' permission on the on-premises AD user objects, and it uses the Azure AD Connect synchronization engine to send the new password hash back through the same sync pipeline, ensuring that SSPR changes are reflected on-premises.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Microsoft Entra Connect Sync — Microsoft Entra Connect Sync (formerly Azure AD Connect) is the correct tool because it synchronizes on-premises Active Directory objects, including password hashes, to Microsoft Entra ID and supports password writeback, which enables self-service password reset (SSPR) to write changed passwords back to on-premises AD. The question specifically requires both password synchronization and writeback, which are core features of Entra Connect Sync.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This SC-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-900 exam.
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