DBS-C01 Workload-Specific Database Design Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of workload-specific database design. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Scan operation will fail because the explicit Deny on dynamodb:Scan overrides the Allow.
D is correct because IAM policy evaluation follows an explicit deny override: any explicit Deny statement for an action overrides any Allow for that same action, regardless of resource specificity. Since the policy includes an explicit Deny on dynamodb:Scan for all resources, the Scan operation on the 'Orders' table will be denied, even though an Allow statement grants other DynamoDB actions on that table.
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.
✗
The Scan operation will succeed because the Deny is on all resources but the Allow is specific to the table.
Why it's wrong here
Deny applies to all resources including the table.
✗
The Scan operation will succeed because the policy allows other operations on the table.
Why it's wrong here
Explicit Deny overrides Allow.
✗
The Scan operation will fail because the policy does not explicitly allow Scan.
Why it's wrong here
Implicit Deny is not the only reason; there is an explicit Deny.
✓
The Scan operation will fail because the explicit Deny on dynamodb:Scan overrides the Allow.
Why this is correct
Explicit Deny always overrides Allow.
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 assume a resource-specific Allow (e.g., on the 'Orders' table) will override a broad Deny on all resources, but AWS IAM's explicit deny always wins, regardless of resource specificity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAM policy evaluation logic follows a strict order: default implicit deny, then explicit Allow, then explicit Deny (which overrides all Allows). The Deny statement in this policy uses 'Effect': 'Deny' with 'Action': 'dynamodb:Scan' and 'Resource': '*', which matches all tables, including 'Orders'. Even if an Allow statement grants 'dynamodb:*' on the 'Orders' table, the explicit Deny on Scan will block it, a behavior rooted in AWS's 'explicit deny overrides allow' rule.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Workload-Specific Database Design — This question tests Workload-Specific Database Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The Scan operation will fail because the explicit Deny on dynamodb:Scan overrides the Allow. — D is correct because IAM policy evaluation follows an explicit deny override: any explicit Deny statement for an action overrides any Allow for that same action, regardless of resource specificity. Since the policy includes an explicit Deny on dynamodb:Scan for all resources, the Scan operation on the 'Orders' table will be denied, even though an Allow statement grants other DynamoDB actions on that table.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 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.
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Question Discussion
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