- A
Configure the bucket ACL to allow the other account
Why wrong: ACLs are not recommended; bucket policy is preferred.
- B
Create an IAM role in the source account that the other account can assume
Cross-account role allows temporary access.
- C
Set up a VPC endpoint for S3
Why wrong: VPC endpoints are for private network access, not cross-account.
- D
Add a bucket policy that allows the other account to access the bucket
Bucket policy grants cross-account permissions.
- E
Grant the IAM user in the other account the necessary S3 permissions
IAM policies in the other account allow the user to use the bucket.
Question 272 of 1,616
How to Set Up Cross-Account Access to an S3 Bucket
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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.
Which THREE steps are required to set up cross-account access for an Amazon S3 bucket? (Choose THREE.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an IAM role in the source account that the other account can assume
Option B is correct because cross-account access to an S3 bucket requires the source account to create an IAM role that the external account can assume via AWS Security Token Service (STS). This role acts as a trust bridge, allowing the external account's IAM users to temporarily assume the role and gain the permissions defined in the role's policy.
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.
- ✗
Configure the bucket ACL to allow the other account
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are not recommended; bucket policy is preferred.
- ✓
Create an IAM role in the source account that the other account can assume
Why this is correct
Cross-account role allows temporary access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set up a VPC endpoint for S3
Why it's wrong here
VPC endpoints are for private network access, not cross-account.
- ✓
Add a bucket policy that allows the other account to access the bucket
Why this is correct
Bucket policy grants cross-account permissions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Grant the IAM user in the other account the necessary S3 permissions
Why this is correct
IAM policies in the other account allow the user to use the bucket.
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 often confuse bucket ACLs (Option A) as a valid cross-account method, but AWS deprecated ACLs for most use cases and recommends using bucket policies and IAM roles for secure cross-account access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the source account's bucket policy uses the `Principal` element to specify the external account's root user or a specific IAM role ARN, while the IAM role in the source account uses a trust policy that allows the external account's IAM users to call `sts:AssumeRole`. The external user then receives temporary security credentials that are valid for up to 1 hour by default, which are used to sign requests to the S3 bucket. This pattern is essential for scenarios like a centralized data lake where multiple accounts need to write or read data without sharing long-term credentials.
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 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM role in the source account that the other account can assume — Option B is correct because cross-account access to an S3 bucket requires the source account to create an IAM role that the external account can assume via AWS Security Token Service (STS). This role acts as a trust bridge, allowing the external account's IAM users to temporarily assume the role and gain the permissions defined in the role's policy.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
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