- A
Enable drift detection on the production stack and compare with the development stack.
Why wrong: Drift detection compares actual resources with template, not intended changes.
- B
Create a ChangeSet from the updated template, review the changes for IAM modifications, and execute only if no IAM changes are present.
ChangeSets provide a preview of all changes, including IAM resource modifications.
- C
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy to multiple accounts and use stack instance filters.
Why wrong: StackSets are for multi-account deployments, not for reviewing changes.
- D
Use a custom resource in the template that checks for IAM changes and fails the update.
Why wrong: Custom resources add complexity and are not the standard way.
Question 1,329 of 1,750
DOP-C02 SDLC Automation Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. 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 uses AWS CloudFormation to manage infrastructure. The development team wants to promote changes from a development environment to a production environment using change sets. They need to ensure that the production stack is not updated if there are any changes to the stack's IAM policies. Which approach should the team use?
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 a ChangeSet from the updated template, review the changes for IAM modifications, and execute only if no IAM changes are present.
Option B is correct because AWS CloudFormation change sets allow you to review the proposed changes to a stack before executing them. By creating a change set from the updated template, the team can inspect the list of changes and specifically look for any modifications to IAM resources (e.g., AWS::IAM::Role, AWS::IAM::Policy). If the change set contains IAM-related changes, they can choose not to execute it, thereby preventing unintended updates to the production stack's IAM policies.
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.
- ✗
Enable drift detection on the production stack and compare with the development stack.
Why it's wrong here
Drift detection compares actual resources with template, not intended changes.
- ✓
Create a ChangeSet from the updated template, review the changes for IAM modifications, and execute only if no IAM changes are present.
Why this is correct
ChangeSets provide a preview of all changes, including IAM resource modifications.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy to multiple accounts and use stack instance filters.
Why it's wrong here
StackSets are for multi-account deployments, not for reviewing changes.
- ✗
Use a custom resource in the template that checks for IAM changes and fails the update.
Why it's wrong here
Custom resources add complexity and are not the standard way.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse drift detection (which is reactive) with change sets (which are proactive), or they may think that StackSets or custom resources are needed for multi-environment promotion, when in fact change sets provide a simple, native mechanism for reviewing and selectively applying updates.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a CloudFormation change set computes a diff between the current stack template and the proposed template, listing each resource change with a 'Replacement', 'Modify', or 'Add' status. For IAM resources, even a minor change (e.g., a policy statement) can trigger a 'Modify' action, and the change set details will show the exact property changes. This allows operators to audit changes before execution, which is critical because IAM changes can have broad security implications and may require separate approval workflows in production environments.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a ChangeSet from the updated template, review the changes for IAM modifications, and execute only if no IAM changes are present. — Option B is correct because AWS CloudFormation change sets allow you to review the proposed changes to a stack before executing them. By creating a change set from the updated template, the team can inspect the list of changes and specifically look for any modifications to IAM resources (e.g., AWS::IAM::Role, AWS::IAM::Policy). If the change set contains IAM-related changes, they can choose not to execute it, thereby preventing unintended updates to the production stack's IAM policies.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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