Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Practice Test (MS-900)

This is correct. Microsoft 365 subscriptions typically include both desktop versions of apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that can be installed for full-featured, offline access, and web-based versions for convenient access from any device with an internet connection. This dual availability is a key productivity benefit.

OneDrive is designed for personal cloud storage, allowing users to store files online and access them from any device. It enables users to share individual files or folders with others without setting up a shared workspace. SharePoint is intended for team collaboration and provides shared document libraries where team members can collectively manage and collaborate on files. Microsoft Teams focuses on communication and collaboration through chat, meetings, and file sharing within teams. Microsoft Exchange is used for email and calendar services. Therefore, OneDrive is the most suitable service for personal file storage with options to share documents occasionally.

Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID evaluate many contextual signals-including user or group, location (network), device compliance state (from Intune), and risk levels from Microsoft Entra ID Protection-to decide whether to grant, block, or require additional controls (for example, MFA) before a user gains access.

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is an access control step that can be required by Conditional Access but, by itself, does not inspect context such as location or device state.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection detects and classifies user and sign-in risks and can apply risk-based policies; however, it does not evaluate other conditions like location or device compliance, so organizations typically feed its risk signals into Conditional Access for a full decision.

Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) simply lets users reset their own passwords and does not make real-time access decisions based on contextual signals.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) strengthens security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification before granting access. By implementing MFA, the organization ensures that even if a user's password is compromised, unauthorized access is prevented by the additional verification step. Conditional Access, on the other hand, is a policy engine that governs access based on conditions like user location or device compliance but doesn't inherently enforce multiple verification methods. Self-Service Password Reset allows users to reset forgotten passwords without administrator help but doesn't add extra security layers during sign-in. Access Reviews help manage user access rights over time but aren't related to the sign-in authentication process.

The Monthly Enterprise Channel provides feature updates once a month, like the Current Channel, but includes additional stability testing before release. This channel balances frequent updates with greater stability, making it suitable for organizations that want new features more frequently than twice a year while prioritizing stability.

The Current Channel provides feature updates as soon as they are available, typically once a month. While this delivers the latest features quickly, it may not offer the level of stability testing the organization prefers.

The Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel provides feature updates only twice a year, in January and July. This channel focuses on stability and long-term support but does not meet the organization’s need for more frequent updates.

The Beta Channel provides the earliest access to new features with minimal testing, aimed at users who want to try out experimental features. This channel is not ideal for environments where stability is a priority.

The Microsoft 365 Admin Center provides administrators with the ability to manage users and licenses, configure domains, monitor service health, and perform other administrative tasks for their Microsoft 365 subscription. The Microsoft 365 User Portal is intended for end users to access their applications, services, and personal settings but does not offer administrative capabilities. Microsoft Endpoint Manager Admin Center focuses on device and application management, while the Microsoft Teams Admin Center is used for configuring Teams-specific settings.

The best deployment model for the firm is to combine on-premises services with cloud services for specific operations, known as a hybrid model. This approach allows them to keep sensitive data on-premises to meet compliance requirements while leveraging the benefits of cloud services for other workloads. Using a public cloud deployment for services does not satisfy the need to keep some data on-premises. Keeping services on-premises and declining to adopt cloud services prevents them from gaining the advantages of cloud scalability and cost reduction. Adopting a private cloud hosted off-premises still involves storing data externally, which may not meet their compliance needs.

Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive subscription that includes Microsoft 365 applications, Windows Enterprise, and Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS). This combination offers productivity tools, an operating system, and advanced security and device management features in one package. Microsoft 365 Apps provides the productivity applications without the operating system or EMS. Windows Enterprise is the operating system alone, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a separate line of business applications.

Microsoft Planner is designed for lightweight team task management. It provides Kanban boards with buckets, lets you assign tasks, set start and due dates, and track progress in charts. Planner can be added as a tab or used through the Tasks by Planner and To Do app in Microsoft Teams for integrated collaboration.

Microsoft Project offers advanced scheduling, resource management, and portfolio features that are more complex than the team needs.

Microsoft To Do targets personal task lists; although you can share a list, it lacks shared Kanban boards and team-level reporting.

Microsoft Lists now includes a Board view that looks like a Kanban board, but Lists is primarily a data-tracking tool and does not provide built-in task assignment, progress charts, or notifications that a dedicated team task manager like Planner supplies.

Microsoft Excel is the correct application for this scenario. It is a spreadsheet program with powerful data analysis and visualization tools, including formulas, a wide variety of chart types, and pivot tables for summarizing large datasets. Microsoft Word is for word processing, Microsoft PowerPoint is for creating presentations, and Microsoft OneNote is for digital note-taking; none are suitable for this level of data analysis.

The Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel provides feature updates only twice per year, resulting in less frequent changes and more stability, which allows organizations additional time for testing and preparation. Despite the reduced frequency of feature updates, security updates are still provided monthly, ensuring the organization remains protected against threats.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) offers a cloud environment with pre-configured tools and services that developers can use to build, test, and deploy applications efficiently. It eliminates the need for managing underlying infrastructure like servers, storage, and networking, allowing the company to focus on application development. Software as a Service (SaaS) provides fully developed applications accessible over the internet, which does not allow for custom application development. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet but requires the user to manage operating systems and applications, which the company wants to avoid. Desktop as a Service (DaaS) provides centrally controlled virtual desktops to users.

Conditional Access Policies enable organizations to enforce access controls based on defined conditions like location, device compliance, or sign-in risk. By implementing Conditional Access, the organization can require additional verification steps, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), only when users sign in under certain conditions (e.g., from outside trusted locations or on unmanaged devices). This approach strengthens security without imposing extra steps on all sign-ins.

Enabling Multi-factor Authentication universally would require users to complete MFA at every sign-in, regardless of context, which might be inconvenient for users on secured networks. Self-Service Password Reset allows users to reset their passwords without administrator assistance but doesn't adjust sign-in requirements based on conditions. Role-Based Access Control manages access permissions based on user roles but doesn't modify authentication processes based on sign-in scenarios.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the correct choice because it provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. With IaaS, the cloud provider manages the physical hardware, while the company retains control over the operating systems and applications. This allows the company to customize and manage their software environment without worrying about hardware maintenance. Platform as a Service (PaaS) does not offer control over the operating system, and Software as a Service (SaaS) provides ready-to-use applications without the ability to install custom applications.

Password hash synchronization enables organizations to synchronize users' credentials from their on-premises Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure AD). This allows users to sign in to both on-premises and cloud services using the same username and password, with authentication handled by Microsoft Entra ID. Unlike pass-through authentication, which redirects authentication requests back to the on-premises infrastructure, password hash synchronization simplifies authentication by keeping it cloud-based without the need for additional on-premises infrastructure.