- A
Create an IAM role in each member account with a trust policy that allows the Security account, and use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy the roles.
Why wrong: CloudFormation StackSets can deploy roles, but updates require re-deployment; not automatically enforced.
- B
Use AWS Single Sign-On (SSO) to assign permissions to users across accounts.
Why wrong: AWS SSO manages user access, not IAM role restrictions.
- C
Create an IAM role in the Security account with a trust policy that references a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations.
SCPs can restrict IAM actions across accounts, and the trust policy can reference the SCP to enforce central control.
- D
Create a resource-based policy on each IAM role in the member accounts that allows the Security account to assume the role.
Why wrong: Resource-based policies are per-account and not centrally managed.
DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 is using AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The Security team wants to centrally manage IAM roles that can be assumed by users in member accounts. Which solution should be used to enforce that only specific roles can be assumed across accounts, while ensuring that the policy updates are automatically applied to all accounts?
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
Create an IAM role in the Security account with a trust policy that references a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations.
Option C is correct because it leverages AWS Organizations and Service Control Policies (SCPs) to centrally enforce which IAM roles can be assumed across member accounts. An SCP applied to an OU or account can explicitly deny the `sts:AssumeRole` action for any role that does not match a specific ARN pattern, ensuring that only the Security account's designated roles are assumable. Since SCPs are automatically inherited by all accounts in the organization, policy updates are applied without manual intervention.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM role in each member account with a trust policy that allows the Security account, and use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy the roles.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation StackSets can deploy roles, but updates require re-deployment; not automatically enforced.
- ✗
Use AWS Single Sign-On (SSO) to assign permissions to users across accounts.
Why it's wrong here
AWS SSO manages user access, not IAM role restrictions.
- ✓
Create an IAM role in the Security account with a trust policy that references a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations.
Why this is correct
SCPs can restrict IAM actions across accounts, and the trust policy can reference the SCP to enforce central control.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a resource-based policy on each IAM role in the member accounts that allows the Security account to assume the role.
Why it's wrong here
Resource-based policies are per-account and not centrally managed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse SCPs with IAM policies, thinking SCPs can grant permissions (they only deny or allow by default), or they assume that resource-based policies (Option D) are sufficient for centralized enforcement without realizing they lack automatic propagation across accounts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SCPs act as an organization-wide permission guardrail that can deny the `sts:AssumeRole` action for any role ARN that does not match a whitelist pattern, using a condition like `ArnNotLike`. This is evaluated before any IAM or resource-based policy, so even if a role's trust policy allows assumption, the SCP can block it. In practice, this allows the Security team to define a single SCP that restricts cross-account role assumption to only roles with a specific path or naming convention, ensuring consistent enforcement across all accounts.
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.
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Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM role in the Security account with a trust policy that references a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations. — Option C is correct because it leverages AWS Organizations and Service Control Policies (SCPs) to centrally enforce which IAM roles can be assumed across member accounts. An SCP applied to an OU or account can explicitly deny the `sts:AssumeRole` action for any role that does not match a specific ARN pattern, ensuring that only the Security account's designated roles are assumable. Since SCPs are automatically inherited by all accounts in the organization, policy updates are applied without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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