Which one of the following is true about single sign-on?

Devraj B.Dec 15, 2025

The correct answer is A. SSO and identity consolidation are related concepts but they are not the same thing. Identity consolidation is the process of merging multiple separate identity stores into one unified directory, while SSO is an authentication mechanism that allows a user to authenticate a single time and then access multiple services without re-entering credentials. SSO does not require sending credentials to each service independently, which eliminates B, and it specifically relies on a shared authentication context rather than distinct per-service credentials, which kills C. D falls apart immediately because SSO is technology-agnostic on the credential side and works fine with passwords, tokens, or certificates, so a smartcard is never a requirement. On the 117-301 blueprint this sits in the authentication and authorization weight area, so expect the exam to probe the definitional boundary between SSO, federation, and identity consolidation more than once, and the memory hook is this: consolidation is about WHERE identities live, SSO is about HOW MANY TIMES you prove who you are.

Toby R.Dec 10, 2025

The wording on A is a little awkward because SSO basically IS a form of identity consolidation, so saying they are "different" made me want to skip it, but in the context of this question it is pointing at the fact that they are not literally the same mechanism. B and C are both wrong for opposite reasons, SSO is specifically about NOT sending the same credentials repeatedly and NOT requiring distinct credentials per service, so those cancel each other out and A is what you are left with.

Hiroshi T.Nov 21, 2025

Saw this one on my actual 117-301 sitting and almost second-guessed myself because B sounds intuitive until you go back to the official definition. SSO lets you authenticate once and access multiple services without re-authenticating, which is categorically different from identity consolidation, where separate identities are merged into one account. A is correct because the spec treats those as two distinct concepts, and once I remembered that distinction from the study guide I locked in A without hesitation.

Thiago A.Nov 9, 2025

Picked A on this one and it held up. SSO is about authenticating once and having that session trusted across multiple services, so the user never re-enters credentials per service, not about collapsing identity stores into a single directory. That last part is identity consolidation, a separate concept that often gets lumped together with SSO in study guides, which is exactly why they put this trap in the exam. B and C both misread what SSO actually does, since you are not shipping credentials to each service or keeping them distinct per service, you authenticate to a central broker and it vouches for you downstream. D is just noise, smartcards are one possible factor but SSO has no dependency on them whatsoever. Sat for 117-301 back when I was still managing a mid-size university lab and this question or something very close showed up in my session. I almost second-guessed myself on A because the wording felt like a trick, like maybe they were trying to say SSO IS identity consolidation. Went back to what I know from setting up Kerberos with LDAP on campus, the KDC handles authentication, the directory handles identity, two separate things talking to each other. Locked in A and moved on.

Bao N.Nov 29, 2025

C for sure, distinct credentials per service is what SSO means.