- A
The task execution role does not have permission to retrieve the secret.
Why wrong: The task execution role is used for pulling images, not for runtime secret retrieval.
- B
The secret's resource-based policy denies access to the task role.
Secrets Manager secrets have resource-based policies that can deny access.
- C
The task is in a private subnet without a VPC endpoint to Secrets Manager.
Why wrong: Fargate tasks can use VPC endpoints or access Secrets Manager over the internet if configured.
- D
The secret name does not match the pattern in the policy.
Why wrong: The wildcard * matches the secret name.
Question 1,313 of 1,616
Secrets Manager: Access Denied Due to Resource Policy
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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 company runs a containerized application on Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type. The application needs to access an Amazon RDS MySQL database using credentials stored in AWS Secrets Manager. The ECS task role has the following IAM policy: {"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":["secretsmanager:GetSecretValue"],"Resource":"arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789012:secret:prod-db-*"}]}. The application fails to retrieve the secret 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 choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The secret's resource-based policy denies access to the task role.
The IAM policy on the ECS task role allows access to secrets matching the pattern `prod-db-*`. However, if the secret has a resource-based policy that explicitly denies access to the task role, that denial overrides the IAM allow, causing an AccessDeniedException. AWS Secrets Manager evaluates both identity-based policies (task role) and resource-based policies, and an explicit deny in either results in denial.
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 task execution role does not have permission to retrieve the secret.
Why it's wrong here
The task execution role is used for pulling images, not for runtime secret retrieval.
- ✓
The secret's resource-based policy denies access to the task role.
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager secrets have resource-based policies that can deny access.
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 task is in a private subnet without a VPC endpoint to Secrets Manager.
Why it's wrong here
Fargate tasks can use VPC endpoints or access Secrets Manager over the internet if configured.
- ✗
The secret name does not match the pattern in the policy.
Why it's wrong here
The wildcard * matches the secret name.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the task execution role with the task role, or assume network connectivity issues (VPC endpoints) are the cause when the error is clearly an IAM permissions denial.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a resource-based policy exists on a secret, AWS evaluates both the identity-based policy (task role) and the resource-based policy. An explicit deny in the resource-based policy takes precedence over any allow in the identity-based policy, per IAM evaluation logic. In practice, this often occurs when secrets are shared across accounts or when a secret administrator sets a policy that restricts access to specific principals, inadvertently blocking the ECS task role.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
- →
Development with AWS Services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Development with AWS Services practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DVA-C02 questions
1,616 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DVA-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DVA-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Development with AWS Services practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Development with AWS Services.
Security practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Security.
Deployment practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Deployment.
Troubleshooting and Optimization practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Troubleshooting and Optimization.
DVA-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to DVA-C02 fundamentals.
DVA-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to DVA-C02 scenario.
DVA-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to DVA-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DVA-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The secret's resource-based policy denies access to the task role. — The IAM policy on the ECS task role allows access to secrets matching the pattern `prod-db-*`. However, if the secret has a resource-based policy that explicitly denies access to the task role, that denial overrides the IAM allow, causing an AccessDeniedException. AWS Secrets Manager evaluates both identity-based policies (task role) and resource-based policies, and an explicit deny in either results in denial.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More DVA-C02 practice questions
- A developer is troubleshooting an AWS Lambda function that is triggered by an S3 event. The function occasionally fails…
- A developer needs to call AWS APIs from application code running on EC2. Which credential source should the AWS SDK use…
- A developer needs to allow an IAM user in a different AWS account to assume a role in the developer's account. The role…
- A developer needs to grant an IAM role in Account B read-only access to objects in an S3 bucket in Account A. The bucket…
- An API Gateway HTTP API should allow access only to users authenticated by an external OIDC provider. Which authorizer t…
- A developer needs to allow an EC2 instance to read from a DynamoDB table. Which is the best practice to grant permission…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.