Quick Answer
The answer is to use no stack policy, or a policy that explicitly allows updates to all resources. This is correct because a CloudFormation stack policy is a governance mechanism designed to prevent accidental updates or deletions of critical resources, not to block the replacement process itself. When a property change requires resource replacement, CloudFormation must create a new resource and delete the old one, which is a standard update action; a restrictive policy would deny this by default. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding that stack policies are protective, not permissive—they only block actions they explicitly deny. A common trap is assuming a special “allow replacement” policy exists, but in reality, the absence of a policy or a fully permissive one is what permits replacement. Memory tip: “No policy, no problem—replacement flows freely.”
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. 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 DevOps team is implementing infrastructure as code using AWS CloudFormation. They need to ensure that the stack can be updated to modify a resource's property that requires replacement. Which CloudFormation stack policy should they use?
No stack policy, or a policy that allows updates to all resources.
Default allows updates; policy only restricts.
A stack policy with an AllowAll statement.
Why wrong: AllowAll is not a typical policy; default allows.
A stack policy with a DenyAll statement.
Why wrong: DenyAll blocks all updates.
A stack policy that explicitly denies updates to the resource.
Why wrong: Denying updates would prevent the modification.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
No stack policy, or a policy that allows updates to all resources.
Option A is correct because CloudFormation stack policies are designed to prevent accidental updates to critical resources, not to block updates that require replacement. By default, if no stack policy is applied, all resources can be updated, including those that require replacement. A policy that allows updates to all resources (or no policy) is necessary to permit a stack update that modifies a property requiring resource replacement, as the replacement process involves creating a new resource and deleting the old one, which is a valid update action.
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.
No stack policy, or a policy that allows updates to all resources.
Why this is correct
Default allows updates; policy only restricts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A stack policy with an AllowAll statement.
Why it's wrong here
AllowAll is not a typical policy; default allows.
A stack policy with a DenyAll statement.
Why it's wrong here
DenyAll blocks all updates.
A stack policy that explicitly denies updates to the resource.
Why it's wrong here
Denying updates would prevent the modification.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse stack policies with IAM policies or assume that any policy statement (like AllowAll) is valid, when in fact CloudFormation stack policies require specific Effect, Action, and Resource keys, and the default behavior (no policy) already allows all updates, including replacement.
Detailed technical explanation
CloudFormation stack policies are JSON documents that define which update actions are allowed or denied on specific resources, using Effect (Allow/Deny), Action (Update:Modify, Update:Replace, Update:Delete), and Resource (logical resource ID). When a resource property requires replacement, CloudFormation performs an Update:Replace action, which is a subset of update actions; a stack policy that allows all updates (or no policy) permits this action, while any deny on the resource would block it. In real-world scenarios, teams often use stack policies to protect production databases from accidental deletion, but they must explicitly allow replacement updates for resources that need to be modified via replacement, such as an EC2 instance's instance type.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Configuration Management and IaC — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Configuration Management and IaC practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DOP-C02 questions
1,740 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DOP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Configuration Management and IaC.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Resilient Cloud Solutions.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Monitoring and Logging.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Incident and Event Response.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to SDLC Automation.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 fundamentals.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 scenario.
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Configuration Management and IaC — This question tests Configuration Management and IaC — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: No stack policy, or a policy that allows updates to all resources. — Option A is correct because CloudFormation stack policies are designed to prevent accidental updates to critical resources, not to block updates that require replacement. By default, if no stack policy is applied, all resources can be updated, including those that require replacement. A policy that allows updates to all resources (or no policy) is necessary to permit a stack update that modifies a property requiring resource replacement, as the replacement process involves creating a new resource and deleting the old one, which is a valid update action.
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.
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
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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.
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.