The answer is a bucket policy with an explicit Deny and a service control policy (SCP) at the organizational level. Even when an IAM policy grants s3:GetObject, an explicit Deny in a bucket policy overrides that allow, because AWS evaluates all policies with Deny taking precedence. Similarly, an SCP, which acts as a permission guardrail for an entire AWS organization, can deny access to S3 actions regardless of what IAM or bucket policies allow. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the policy evaluation logic and the hierarchy of permissions—a common trap is assuming IAM allow alone guarantees access. Remember the memory tip: “Deny always wins,” and SCPs are the ultimate boundary; if an SCP denies, no lower-level policy can override it.
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
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 company has an IAM policy that allows s3:GetObject for all users in the account. However, a specific user is receiving access denied errors. Which TWO possible causes should the developer investigate?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An SCP at the organization level denies s3:GetObject.
A bucket policy with an explicit Deny overrides the IAM policy. Also, a service control policy (SCP) at the organizational level can deny access.
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.
✓
An SCP at the organization level denies s3:GetObject.
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny even if IAM allows.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The user is using an incorrect region endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Would cause different error, not access denied.
✗
The user's IAM role has an attached policy that denies s3:GetObject.
Why it's wrong here
If IAM policy allows, role policy would not deny unless explicit Deny.
✗
The S3 bucket is in a different AWS account.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-account access requires bucket policy, but not necessarily denial.
✓
A bucket policy explicitly denies the user.
Why this is correct
Explicit Deny overrides Allow.
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 DVA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Security — This question tests Security — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: An SCP at the organization level denies s3:GetObject. — A bucket policy with an explicit Deny overrides the IAM policy. Also, a service control policy (SCP) at the organizational level can deny access.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. The exhibit shows an S3 bucket policy. If an IAM user in the same AWS account attempts to download an object from the bucket from IP address 203.0.113.5, what will happen?
easy
A.The request will succeed because the user has IAM permissions.
B.The request will succeed because the user is in the same account.
C.The request will succeed because the bucket policy does not explicitly deny.
✓ D.The request will be denied.
Why D: The policy allows GetObject only if the source IP is in 192.0.2.0/24. The user's IP (203.0.113.5) is not in that range, so the request will be denied. The IAM user's own permissions do not override the bucket policy's explicit deny condition. Option A is wrong because the bucket policy explicitly denies by not allowing the IP. Option C is wrong because the bucket policy is evaluated. Option D is wrong because the condition is not satisfied.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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.
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