Exam MS-203 Microsoft 365 Messaging Exam

Important
The content of this exam was updated on November 30, 2021. Please download the skills measured document below to see what changed.

NOTE: Passing score: 700. Learn more about exam scores here.
Candidates for this exam are messaging administrators who deploy, configure, manage, troubleshoot, and monitor recipients, compliance, threat protection, and mail flow in hybrid and cloud enterprise environments.

Messaging administrators are responsible for managing message hygiene, permissions, messaging infrastructure, hybrid configuration, migration, transport, mailboxes, and client access.

Messaging administrators collaborate with other workload administrators and the Microsoft 365 enterprise administrator to implement a secure hybrid or cloud-only messaging topology that meets the business needs of an enterprise.

The messaging administrator should have a working knowledge of authentication types, licensing, and integration with Microsoft 365 applications.
Part of the requirements for: Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate
Related exams: none
Important: See details
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Exam MS-203: Microsoft 365 Messaging
Languages: English
Retirement date: none

This exam measures your ability to accomplish the following technical tasks: manage organizational settings and resources; plan and manage the mail transport architecture; plan and implement a hybrid configuration and migration; and secure the messaging environment.

Skills measured
The content of this exam was updated on November 30, 2021. Please download the exam skills outline below to see what changed.

Manage organizational settings and resources (30-35%)
Plan and manage the mail transport architecture (20-25%)
Plan and implement a hybrid configuration and migration (15-20%)
Secure the messaging environment (25-30%)

Exam MS-203: Microsoft 365 Messaging – Skills

Measured
This exam was updated on November 30, 2021. Following the current exam guide, we
have included a version of the exam guide with Track Changes set to “On,” showing the
changes that were made to the exam on that date.

NOTE: Passing score: 700. Learn more about exam scores here.

Audience Profile
Candidates for this exam are Messaging Administrators who deploy, configure, manage, troubleshoot, and monitor recipients, compliance, threat protection, and mail flow in hybrid and cloud enterprise environments.

Messaging Administrators are responsible for managing message hygiene, permissions, messaging infrastructure, hybrid configuration, migration, transport, mailboxes, and client access.

Messaging Administrators collaborate with other workload administrators and the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator to implement a secure hybrid or cloud-only messaging topology that meets the business needs of an enterprise.

The Messaging Administrator should have a working knowledge of authentication types, licensing, and integration with M365 applications.

Skills Measured
NOTE: The bullets that follow each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that skill. This list is not definitive or exhaustive.

NOTE: Most questions cover features that are General Availability (GA). The exam may contain questions on Preview features if those features are commonly used.

Manage Organizational Settings and Resources (30-35%)

Plan and manage organizational settings
 manage a Global Address List (GAL), including hierarchical address books (HAB)
 manage an Offline Address Book (OAB)
 manage address book policies
 manage email address policies
 plan and configure organization relationships and individual sharing
 manage add-ins from Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Plan and manage client access
 plan namespaces
 configure virtual directories and URLs in a hybrid environment
 configure global Outlook on the Web policies
 configure Autodiscover
 troubleshoot client access connectivity problems

Manage recipient resources
 manage archive mailboxes
 manage resource mailboxes
 manage groups including distribution lists, dynamic distribution lists, mail-enabled security groups, and Microsoft 365 groups
 manage user mailboxes
 manage mailbox permissions, including delegation
 manage shared mailboxes, including converting to a shared mailbox
 manage license for shared resources
 create and manage contacts, including Mail contacts and Mail users
 manage email addresses for Microsoft Teams

Plan and Manage the Mail Transport Architecture (20-25%)

Plan and configure connectors
 plan connectors to route or secure mail flow
 create and configure connectors to route mail
 create and configure connectors to secure mail flow between organizations
 create and configure conditional mail routing
 configure enhanced filtering for connectors

Manage mail flow
 manage mail flow rules
 manage accepted and remote domains
 manage hybrid mail flow

Troubleshoot mail flow
 trace a message
 analyze a message trace
 analyze message headers
 analyze Non-Deliverable Reports (NDRs)
 troubleshoot by using the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer
 troubleshoot by using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
 troubleshoot by using transport logs and queues in a hybrid environment

Plan and Implement a Hybrid Configuration and Migration (15-20%)

Plan and implement a hybrid environment
 plan a hybrid deployment by using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW)manage the Edge server role in a hybrid environment
 configure Organization Configuration Transfer (OCT)
 configure the environment by using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard
 deploy the Exchange Hybrid Agent
 manage the Exchange certificates lifecycle in a hybrid environment

Plan and implement migration
 evaluate migration methods, including cutover, minimal hybrid (express migration), cutover, cross tenant, staged, PST Imports, IMAP, Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite), batch migration by using the Exchange admin center
 configure migration endpoints in Microsoft 365
 manage mailbox migration batches
 troubleshoot mailbox migration
 plan a public folder migration to Microsoft 365

Secure the Messaging Environment (25-30%)

Manage role-based permissions in Exchange
 plan RBAC roles
 manage role groups
 assign user accounts to admin roles
 manage user roles

Manage message hygiene
 plan for message hygiene
 configure and manage Anti-spam settings
 configure and manage Anti-malware policies
 monitor and review quarantined items
 plan and configure Spam Confidence Levels (SCL)
 configure and manage Safe attachments
 configure and manage Safe links
 configure and manage Anti-phishing
 manage email user submissions
 add and manage DNS records for domains
 validate settings by using Configuration Analyzer

Manage compliance
 configure retention labels and retention policies
 configure data loss prevention (DLP) policies
 configure sensitivity labels and policies
 configure and analyze audit logs
 manage journal rules
 manage content search
 manage core eDiscovery cases (not including Advanced eDiscovery)

The exam guide below shows the changes that were implemented on November 30, 2021.

Audience Profile
Candidates for this exam are Messaging Administrators who deploy, configure, manage, troubleshoot, and monitor recipients, compliance, threat protection, and mail flow in hybrid and cloud enterprise environments.
Messaging Administrators are responsible for managing message hygiene, permissions, messaging infrastructure, hybrid configuration, migration, transport, mailboxes, and client access.

Messaging Administrators collaborate with other workload administrators and the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator to implement a secure hybrid or cloud-only messaging topology that meets the business needs of an enterprise.

The Messaging Administrator should have a working knowledge of authentication types, licensing, and integration with M365 applications.

Skills Measured

NOTE: The bullets that follow each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that skill. This list is not definitive or exhaustive.

NOTE: Most questions cover features that are General Availability (GA). The exam may contain questions on
Preview features if those features are commonly used.

Manage Organizational Settings and Resources (30-35%)

Plan and manage organizational settings
 manage a Global Address List (GAL), including hierarchical address books (HAB)
 manage an Offline Address Book (OAB)
 manage address book policies
 manage email address policies
 plan and configure organization relationships and individual sharing
 manage add-ins from Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Plan and manage client access
 plan namespaces
 configure virtual directories and URLs in a hybrid environment
 configure global Outlook on the Web policies
 configure Autodiscover
 troubleshoot client access connectivity problems

Manage recipient resources
 manage archive mailboxes
 manage resource mailboxes
 manage groups including distribution lists, dynamic distribution lists, mail-enabled security groups, and Microsoft 365 groups
 manage user mailboxes
 manage mailbox permissions, including delegation
 manage shared mailboxes, including converting to a shared mailbox
 manage license for shared resources
 create and manage contacts, including Mail contacts and Mail users
 manage email addresses for Microsoft Teams

Plan and Manage the Mail Transport Architecture (20-25%)
Plan and configure connectors
 plan connectors to route or secure mail flow
 create and configure connectors to route mail
 create and configure connectors, ~~including~~ to secure mail flow between organizations
 create and configure conditional mail routing
 configure enhanced filtering for connectors

Manage mail flow
 manage ~~transport~~ mail flow rules
 manage accepted and remote domains
 manage hybrid mail flow

Troubleshoot mail flow
 trace a message
 analyze a message trace
 analyze message headers
 analyze Non-Deliverable Reports (NDRs)
 troubleshoot by using the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer
 troubleshoot by using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
 troubleshoot by using transport logs and queues in a hybrid environment

Plan and Implement a Hybrid Configuration and Migration (15-20%)
Plan and implement a hybrid environment
 plan a hybrid deployment by using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW)manage the
Edge server role in a hybrid environment
 configure Organization Configuration Transfer (OCT)
 configure the environment by using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard
 deploy the Exchange Hybrid Agent
 manage the Exchange certificates lifecycle in a hybrid environment

Plan and implement migration
 evaluate migration methods, including cutover, minimal hybrid (express migration), cutover, cross tenant, staged, PST Imports, IMAP, Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite), batch migration by using the Exchange admin center
 configure migration endpoints in Microsoft 365
 manage mailbox migration batches
 troubleshoot mailbox migration
 plan a public folder migration to Microsoft 365

Secure the Messaging Environment (25-30%)
Manage role-based permissions in Exchange
 plan RBAC roles
 manage role groups
 assign user accounts to admin roles
 manage user roles

Manage message hygiene
 plan for message hygiene
 configure and manage Anti-spam settings
 configure and manage Anti-malware policies
 monitor and review quarantined items
 plan and configure Spam Confidence Levels (SCL)
 configure and manage Safe attachments
 configure and manage Safe links
 configure and manage Anti-phishing
 manage email user submissions
 add and manage DNS records for domains
 validate settings by using Configuration Analyzer

Manage compliance
 configure retention labels and retention policies
 configure data loss prevention (DLP) policies
 configure sensitivity labels and policies
 configure and analyze audit logs
 manage journal rules
 manage content search
 manage core eDiscovery cases (not including Advanced eDiscovery)

QUESTION 1
Note: This question is part of a series of questions that present the same scenario. Each question in the series contains a unique solution that might meet the stated goals. Some question sets might have more than one correct solution, while others might not have a correct solution. After you answer a question in this section, you will NOT be able to return to it. As a result, these questions will not appear in the review screen.

You have a Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 organization that contains 200 mailboxes.
You need to add a second email address to each mailbox. The address must have a syntax that uses the first letter of each userâ€™s last name, followed by the userâ€™s first name, and then @fabrikam.com.
Solution: You convert all the mailboxes to shared mailboxes, and then you run the Set-Mailbox cmdlet and specify the -EmailAddressPolicyEnabled $false parameter.

Does this meet the goal?

A. Yes
B. No

Answer: B
Section: (none)
Explanation
Explanation/Reference:
Explanation:
Email address policies define the rules that create email addresses for recipients in your Exchange organization.
The basic components of an email address policy are:
Email address templates: Define the email address format for the recipients (for example
<firstname>@contoso.com or <lastname>.<firstname>@contoso.com).
Recipient filter: Specifies the recipients whose email addresses are configured by the policy.
Priority: Specifies the order to apply the email address policies (important if a recipient is identified by more
than one policy).
The EmailAddressPolicyEnabled parameter specifies whether to apply email address policies to this recipient.

Valid values are:
$true: Email address policies are applied to this recipient. This is the default value.
$false: Email address policies aren’t applied to this recipient.

Reference:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/email-addresses-and-address-books/email-address-policies/emailaddresspolicies?
view=exchserver-2019

QUESTION 2
Note: This question is part of a series of questions that present the same scenario. Each question in
the series contains a unique solution that might meet the stated goals. Some question sets might have
more than one correct solution, while others might not have a correct solution.
After you answer a question in this section, you will NOT be able to return to it. As a result, these
questions will not appear in the review screen.
You have a Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 organization that contains 200 mailboxes.
You need to add a second email address to each mailbox. The address must have a syntax that uses the first
letter of each userâ€™s last name, followed by the userâ€™s first name, and then @fabrikam.com.
Solution: You create an email address policy that uses the %1s%g@fabrikam.com email address format.
Does this meet the goal?

A. Yes
B. No

Answer: B

Section: (none)
Explanation
Explanation/Reference:
Reference:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/email-addresses-and-address-books/email-address-policies/emailaddresspolicies?
view=exchserver-2019

QUESTION 3
Note: This question is part of a series of questions that present the same scenario. Each question in
the series contains a unique solution that might meet the stated goals. Some question sets might have
more than one correct solution, while others might not have a correct solution.
After you answer a question in this section, you will NOT be able to return to it. As a result, these
questions will not appear in the review screen.
You have a Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 organization that contains 200 mailboxes.
You need to add a second email address to each mailbox. The address must have a syntax that uses the first
letter of each userâ€™s last name, followed by the userâ€™s first name, and then @fabrikam.com.
Solution: You convert all the mailboxes to shared mailboxes, and then you run the
Set-Mailbox cmdlet and specify the -EmailAddressPolicyEnabled $true parameter.
Does this meet the goal?

A. Yes
B. No

Answer: A

Section: (none)
Explanation
Explanation/Reference:
Explanation:
Email address policies define the rules that create email addresses for recipients in your Exchange organization.
The basic components of an email address policy are:
Email address templates: Define the email address format for the recipients (for example
<firstname>@contoso.com or <lastname>.<firstname>@contoso.com).
Recipient filter: Specifies the recipients whose email addresses are configured by the policy.
Priority: Specifies the order to apply the email address policies (important if a recipient is identified by more than one policy).
The EmailAddressPolicyEnabled parameter specifies whether to apply email address policies to this recipient.
Valid values are:
$true: Email address policies are applied to this recipient. This is the default value.
$false: Email address policies aren’t applied to this recipient.
Reference:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/email-addresses-and-address-books/email-address-policies/emailaddresspolicies?
view=exchserver-2019

QUESTION 4
You have a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Several users report today that they cannot access email from their mobile device. They successfully
accessed their email from the same device yesterday.
You need to identify which mobile device access rule applies to the devices.
Which cmdlet should you run?

A. Get-ActiveSyncDeviceClass
B. Get-ActiveSyncOrganizationSettings
C. Get-MobileDevice
D. Get-MobileDeviceMailboxPolicy

Answer: C
Section: (none)
Explanation
Explanation/Reference:
Explanation:
The Get-MobileDevice cmdlet returns identification, configuration, and status information for each mobile device.
Note: The Get-MobileDeviceStatistics cmdlet can also be used.

QUESTION 5
You have a Microsoft Exchange Online tenant.
All users are assigned only an Office 365 Enterprise E3 license.
You need to ensure that the users can use only Microsoft Outlook to connect to their Microsoft 365 mailbox
when they connect from an Android device.
What should you create?

A. a conditional access policy in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)
B. a data loss prevention (DLP) policy
C. an app protection policy Microsoft Endpoint Manager
D. a connection filter policy in Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Answer: D