SC-900 Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra Practice Question
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.
Your organization is deploying Microsoft Entra ID. You need to ensure that users can sign in using their existing on-premises Active Directory credentials without creating new cloud passwords. Which feature should you configure?
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
Microsoft Entra Connect is the correct feature because it synchronizes on-premises Active Directory identities to Microsoft Entra ID and enables password hash synchronization or pass-through authentication, allowing users to sign in with their existing on-premises credentials without creating new cloud passwords. This ensures a seamless hybrid identity experience where the same username and password work for both on-premises and cloud resources.
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.
✓
Microsoft Entra Connect
Why this is correct
Entra Connect syncs identities and enables password hash sync or pass-through authentication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Microsoft Entra Multifactor Authentication
Why it's wrong here
MFA adds a second authentication factor but does not sync existing passwords.
✗
Microsoft Entra Self-Service Password Reset
Why it's wrong here
SSPR allows users to reset passwords but does not use existing on-prem credentials for cloud sign-in.
✗
Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Why it's wrong here
PIM manages just-in-time access for privileged roles, not password synchronization.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Microsoft Entra Connect with Microsoft Entra Multifactor Authentication, thinking that MFA alone can authenticate against on-premises credentials, but MFA only provides an additional verification step and does not handle primary authentication against on-premises Active Directory.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Microsoft Entra Connect uses the Password Hash Synchronization (PHS) feature to hash the on-premises password and sync it to Microsoft Entra ID, or Pass-Through Authentication (PTA) to validate credentials directly against on-premises Active Directory without storing password hashes in the cloud. In a real-world scenario, organizations with strict security policies often combine PTA with Seamless Single Sign-On (SSO) to avoid storing password hashes in the cloud while still providing a frictionless sign-in experience.
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.
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 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: Microsoft Entra Connect — Microsoft Entra Connect is the correct feature because it synchronizes on-premises Active Directory identities to Microsoft Entra ID and enables password hash synchronization or pass-through authentication, allowing users to sign in with their existing on-premises credentials without creating new cloud passwords. This ensures a seamless hybrid identity experience where the same username and password work for both on-premises and cloud resources.
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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Question Discussion
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