The answer is that the request will be denied because the Deny statement applies when the tag is missing. This outcome hinges on how an IAM policy with tag condition evaluates the s3:GetObject action: the Deny statement uses a StringNotEquals condition key for the tag 'classification', which triggers denial when the tag is null or absent, while the Allow statement only grants access if the tag equals 'public'. Since the object in example-bucket has no tags at all, the Deny condition evaluates to true and explicitly overrides any Allow, blocking the read. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of IAM policy evaluation logic—specifically that explicit Deny always wins, even if an Allow condition is unmet. A common trap is assuming a missing tag is treated as a neutral condition, but here the Deny explicitly catches null values. Memory tip: "No tag, no access—Deny catches the null."
DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. 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.
The IAM policy shown is attached to an IAM role. When a user assumes this role and tries to read an object in example-bucket that has no tags, what will happen?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The request will be denied because the Deny statement applies when the tag is missing
Option D is correct. The Deny statement denies s3:GetObject if the object does not have the tag 'classification' (i.e., the tag is null). Since the object has no tags, the condition evaluates to true, and the action is denied. The Allow statement only allows if the tag equals 'public', which is not the case. The explicit Deny overrides any Allow, so access is denied.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The request will be denied because the object does not have the 'public' tag
Why it's wrong here
Denied because of the Deny statement, not just lack of 'public' tag.
✗
The request will be allowed because the Allow statement grants access to all objects
Why it's wrong here
The Allow statement is conditional on the tag being 'public', which is not met.
✗
The request will be allowed because there is no explicit Deny
Why it's wrong here
There is an explicit Deny for objects without the tag.
✓
The request will be denied because the Deny statement applies when the tag is missing
Why this is correct
The Deny statement explicitly denies access when the tag is null.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DEA-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The request will be denied because the Deny statement applies when the tag is missing — Option D is correct. The Deny statement denies s3:GetObject if the object does not have the tag 'classification' (i.e., the tag is null). Since the object has no tags, the condition evaluates to true, and the action is denied. The Allow statement only allows if the tag equals 'public', which is not the case. The explicit Deny overrides any Allow, so access is denied.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DEA-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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 DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services 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 DEA-C01 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.