Quick Answer
The answer is to check the IAM user’s attached policies and the S3 bucket policy. This is correct because S3 access decisions are evaluated based on the intersection of both identity-based policies (attached to the IAM user or role) and resource-based policies (the bucket policy); an explicit deny in either will override any allow. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the AWS authorization model, where permissions are granted only if both the IAM policy and the bucket policy allow the action. A common trap is assuming that a bucket policy alone is sufficient, but the IAM user must also have a corresponding allow from their own policies. For memory, remember the “double-check” rule: when troubleshooting S3 access denied, always verify both the bucket policy and the IAM policy—never rely on just one.
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. 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.
A developer is troubleshooting an issue where an S3 bucket policy is not granting access to an IAM user. Which TWO actions should the developer take to resolve the issue?
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration.
Why wrong: Not related to access.
Verify the bucket's ACLs allow access.
Why wrong: ACLs are not used when bucket policy exists.
Check the bucket policy for any explicit denies.
Explicit deny overrides allow.
Check the IAM user's attached policies.
IAM policies must grant access.
Enable CloudTrail to log bucket access.
Why wrong: Logging does not resolve permission issues.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Check the bucket policy for any explicit denies.
Option A and C are correct because checking the bucket policy and IAM user policy are the two places where permissions are evaluated. Option B is wrong because ACLs are legacy. Option D is wrong because CloudWatch does not show bucket policies. Option E is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration is not related to permissions.
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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration.
Why it's wrong here
Not related to access.
Verify the bucket's ACLs allow access.
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are not used when bucket policy exists.
Check the bucket policy for any explicit denies.
Why this is correct
Explicit deny overrides allow.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Check the IAM user's attached policies.
Why this is correct
IAM policies must grant access.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Enable CloudTrail to log bucket access.
Why it's wrong here
Logging does not resolve permission issues.
Common exam traps
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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
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
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.
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FAQ
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
The correct answer is: Check the bucket policy for any explicit denies. — Option A and C are correct because checking the bucket policy and IAM user policy are the two places where permissions are evaluated. Option B is wrong because ACLs are legacy. Option D is wrong because CloudWatch does not show bucket policies. Option E is wrong because S3 Transfer Acceleration is not related to permissions.
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.
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Same concept, more angles
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. A developer receives an AccessDenied error when trying to put an object into an S3 bucket using the AWS SDK. The IAM user has an attached policy that grants s3:PutObject on the bucket. What is the MOST likely cause of the error?
mediumWhy D: Option B is correct because S3 buckets often have a bucket policy that explicitly denies access, which would override the IAM user's permissions. Option A is wrong because S3 does not support resource-based policies at the object level. Option C is wrong because the error is AccessDenied, not a timeout or throttling. Option D is wrong because the issue is at the API call level, not the SDK version.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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