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. 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 organization uses Microsoft Entra ID. Which TWO features help protect against identity-based attacks by detecting and responding to risks?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conditional Access
Conditional Access is correct because it enforces policy-based access controls that evaluate real-time signals (e.g., user location, device compliance, sign-in risk) to block or challenge suspicious sign-in attempts, directly mitigating identity-based attacks. Identity Protection is correct because it uses machine learning to detect risk signals such as leaked credentials, anonymous IP addresses, and atypical travel, then automatically triggers remediation actions like requiring password reset or blocking access.
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.
✗
Privileged Identity Management
Why it's wrong here
PIM manages privileged role activation, not risk detection.
✗
Access reviews
Why it's wrong here
Access reviews are for reviewing access, not real-time risk detection.
✓
Conditional Access
Why this is correct
Conditional Access can enforce policies based on risk detected by Identity Protection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Entitlement management
Why it's wrong here
Entitlement management manages access packages, not risk detection.
✓
Identity Protection
Why this is correct
Identity Protection detects risks like leaked credentials and risky sign-ins.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Privileged Identity Management (PIM) with Identity Protection, assuming PIM's role activation controls also detect attacks, when in fact PIM is purely a privileged access management tool with no risk detection capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Identity Protection leverages the Microsoft Entra ID Protection service, which calculates a user risk score (0-100) and a sign-in risk level (low, medium, high) based on signals from Microsoft’s security graph, including real-time telemetry from billions of authentication events. Conditional Access policies can then reference these risk levels via the 'User risk' and 'Sign-in risk' conditions, enabling granular controls such as requiring MFA or blocking access when risk exceeds a defined threshold. In a real-world scenario, if a user’s credentials are leaked on the dark web, Identity Protection elevates the user risk, and a Conditional Access policy can force a secure password change before allowing access.
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: Conditional Access — Conditional Access is correct because it enforces policy-based access controls that evaluate real-time signals (e.g., user location, device compliance, sign-in risk) to block or challenge suspicious sign-in attempts, directly mitigating identity-based attacks. Identity Protection is correct because it uses machine learning to detect risk signals such as leaked credentials, anonymous IP addresses, and atypical travel, then automatically triggers remediation actions like requiring password reset or blocking access.
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.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.