Quick Answer
The answer is an IAM policy. This is correct because an IAM policy is an identity-based policy that attaches directly to a user, group, or role, granting precise permissions for specific actions like s3:GetObject or s3:PutObject on a particular S3 bucket. In contrast, a bucket policy is a resource-based policy attached to the bucket itself, often used for cross-account access, while an SCP (Service Control Policy) applies at the organizational level to restrict maximum permissions across accounts, not to individual users. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this tests your understanding of the fundamental difference between identity-based and resource-based policies—a common trap is confusing bucket policies with IAM policies when the requirement is to limit a specific user’s actions. Remember the memory tip: IAM policies are for “who you are” (identity), bucket policies are for “what you own” (resource), and SCPs are for “what you can’t exceed” (guardrails).
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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.
A developer needs to allow an IAM user to perform only specific actions on an S3 bucket. Which type of policy should be attached to the IAM user?
A service control policy
Why wrong: SCPs are used in AWS Organizations to set permission guardrails.
A bucket policy
Why wrong: Bucket policies are attached to the bucket, not to users.
A trust policy
Why wrong: Trust policies define who can assume a role.
An IAM policy
IAM policies are attached to users, groups, or roles to grant permissions.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
An IAM policy
An IAM policy (Option D) is the correct choice because it is an identity-based policy that can be directly attached to an IAM user, group, or role to grant or deny permissions for specific actions on AWS resources, including S3 buckets. This allows the developer to precisely control which S3 actions (e.g., s3:GetObject, s3:PutObject) the user can perform on a particular bucket, meeting the requirement of limiting the user to specific actions.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
A service control policy
Why it's wrong here
SCPs are used in AWS Organizations to set permission guardrails.
A bucket policy
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policies are attached to the bucket, not to users.
A trust policy
Why it's wrong here
Trust policies define who can assume a role.
An IAM policy
Why this is correct
IAM policies are attached to users, groups, or roles to grant permissions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
AWS often tests the distinction between identity-based policies (IAM policies) and resource-based policies (bucket policies), where candidates mistakenly choose a bucket policy thinking it can control user permissions directly, but bucket policies are tied to the resource, not the user identity.
Detailed technical explanation
IAM policies are JSON documents that define a set of permissions using the AWS IAM policy language, supporting conditions, resource ARNs, and effect elements (Allow/Deny). When attached to an IAM user, these policies are evaluated during authorization using the AWS IAM policy evaluation logic, which combines all applicable policies (identity-based and resource-based) and defaults to an implicit deny. A real-world scenario is granting a developer read-only access to a production S3 bucket while allowing write access to a staging bucket, which is achieved by attaching separate IAM policies with specific resource ARNs and actions.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: An IAM policy — An IAM policy (Option D) is the correct choice because it is an identity-based policy that can be directly attached to an IAM user, group, or role to grant or deny permissions for specific actions on AWS resources, including S3 buckets. This allows the developer to precisely control which S3 actions (e.g., s3:GetObject, s3:PutObject) the user can perform on a particular bucket, meeting the requirement of limiting the user to specific actions.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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