Quick Answer
The answer is that the IAM policy is missing the s3:GetObject permission. While s3:ListBucket allows the user to see the names of objects in the bucket, the actual listing operation in the AWS console or SDK often implicitly requires s3:GetObject to retrieve object metadata such as size and last modified date; without it, the API call fails with an access denied error. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this is a classic trap where candidates assume s3:ListBucket alone is sufficient for listing, but the exam tests that object-level read access is needed for the full list response. Remember that s3:ListBucket controls the bucket-level action of listing keys, while s3:GetObject controls reading the objects themselves—both are required for a complete list operation. Memory tip: "List the bucket, Get the objects" to recall that listing needs both permissions.
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.
A developer is debugging an issue where an IAM user cannot list objects in an S3 bucket. The user has the following IAM policy attached: { "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Effect": "Allow", "Action": "s3:ListBucket", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket" } ] }. What is missing?
The Resource ARN is incorrect.
Why wrong: The ARN is correct for the bucket.
The bucket has a bucket policy that denies access.
Why wrong: No mention of bucket policy denying access.
The user needs to enable S3 ACLs.
Why wrong: ACLs are not required for IAM policies.
The policy needs to also allow s3:GetObject on the objects.
ListBucket lists objects but doesn't allow reading them; GetObject is needed to view object details.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The policy needs to also allow s3:GetObject on the objects.
The IAM policy only grants the s3:ListBucket permission, which allows listing the objects in the bucket but not reading their contents. To actually list objects, the s3:ListBucket action is sufficient; however, the question implies the user cannot list objects at all. The missing permission is s3:GetObject, which is required to retrieve object metadata and data when using certain S3 operations like GetObject or HeadObject. Without s3:GetObject, the user may fail to list objects if the bucket policy or ACLs require read access for the listing operation to succeed.
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.
The Resource ARN is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
The ARN is correct for the bucket.
The bucket has a bucket policy that denies access.
Why it's wrong here
No mention of bucket policy denying access.
The user needs to enable S3 ACLs.
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are not required for IAM policies.
The policy needs to also allow s3:GetObject on the objects.
Why this is correct
ListBucket lists objects but doesn't allow reading them; GetObject is needed to view object details.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume s3:ListBucket alone is enough to list objects in the console or CLI, but they overlook that the console also needs s3:GetObject to display object metadata, leading them to incorrectly choose options like bucket policy or ACLs.
Detailed technical explanation
The s3:ListBucket action returns a list of object keys and metadata, but the actual retrieval of object data requires s3:GetObject. In S3, listing objects (GET Bucket) is a bucket-level operation, while reading object content (GET Object) is an object-level operation. A common real-world scenario is when a developer grants ListBucket but forgets GetObject, causing the AWS Management Console to show an empty bucket or errors when trying to view object details, because the console issues HEAD requests for each object to fetch metadata.
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.
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The policy needs to also allow s3:GetObject on the objects. — The IAM policy only grants the s3:ListBucket permission, which allows listing the objects in the bucket but not reading their contents. To actually list objects, the s3:ListBucket action is sufficient; however, the question implies the user cannot list objects at all. The missing permission is s3:GetObject, which is required to retrieve object metadata and data when using certain S3 operations like GetObject or HeadObject. Without s3:GetObject, the user may fail to list objects if the bucket policy or ACLs require read access for the listing operation to succeed.
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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Same concept, more angles
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Variation 1. A developer is troubleshooting an issue where an IAM user cannot perform 's3:ListBucket' on a bucket. Which TWO factors could cause this denial?
mediumWhy B: Option B is correct because an explicit deny statement in a bucket policy overrides any allow that might exist from an IAM policy or other sources. AWS IAM evaluates all policies (identity-based and resource-based) and an explicit deny always takes precedence, effectively blocking the s3:ListBucket action regardless of other permissions.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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