This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A developer runs the AWS CLI command to decrypt a file using a KMS key. The command fails with an AccessDeniedException. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The IAM user 'DevUser' does not have the kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key.
The AccessDeniedException indicates that the IAM user 'DevUser' lacks the required kms:Decrypt permission on the specified KMS key. KMS key policies and IAM policies work together to control access; without an explicit allow for kms:Decrypt on that key, the API call is denied regardless of other permissions.
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 IAM user 'DevUser' does not have the kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key.
Why this is correct
The error explicitly says the user is not authorized to perform kms:Decrypt.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The ciphertext blob is not base64-encoded.
Why it's wrong here
The command uses fileb://, which reads binary data correctly.
✗
The KMS key is disabled.
Why it's wrong here
If disabled, the error would be different.
✗
The KMS key ID is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
The key ID in the error appears valid.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AccessDeniedException with other KMS errors like InvalidCiphertextException or DisabledException, but the exam expects you to recognize that only a missing permission produces an AccessDeniedException when the key exists and is enabled.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The command uses fileb://, which reads binary data correctly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
KMS uses a combination of key policies, IAM policies, and grants to authorize operations. The kms:Decrypt permission must be explicitly granted on the key's resource ARN in either the key policy or an IAM policy that is attached to the user. The AccessDeniedException is distinct from other KMS errors (e.g., ValidationError, DisabledException) and specifically indicates an authorization failure, not a malformed request or key state issue.
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.
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.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The IAM user 'DevUser' does not have the kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key. — The AccessDeniedException indicates that the IAM user 'DevUser' lacks the required kms:Decrypt permission on the specified KMS key. KMS key policies and IAM policies work together to control access; without an explicit allow for kms:Decrypt on that key, the API call is denied regardless of other permissions.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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