This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A DevOps engineer runs the above commands. The build project 'my-project' uses an S3 bucket as source and another S3 bucket for artifacts. The build fails with an 'Access Denied' error when trying to download the source code. 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.
The encryption key is a KMS key that the role cannot access
Why wrong: The key is the default S3 key, not a custom KMS.
The service role does not have s3:GetObject permission on the source bucket
The role needs GetObject to download the source.
The source type is S3, but the project expects CodeCommit
Why wrong: The source type is correctly S3.
The source location is incorrect
Why wrong: The location appears valid.
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 service role does not have s3:GetObject permission on the source bucket
The build project 'my-project' uses an S3 bucket as the source. When CodeBuild downloads source code from S3, the service role must have the s3:GetObject permission on the source bucket. The 'Access Denied' error indicates that the role lacks this permission, making option B the most likely cause.
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 encryption key is a KMS key that the role cannot access
Why it's wrong here
The key is the default S3 key, not a custom KMS.
The service role does not have s3:GetObject permission on the source bucket
Why this is correct
The role needs GetObject to download the source.
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 source type is S3, but the project expects CodeCommit
Why it's wrong here
The source type is correctly S3.
The source location is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
The location appears valid.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'Access Denied' with other S3 errors like 'NoSuchKey' or 'BucketNotFound', or incorrectly attribute the error to KMS encryption when the error message does not reference it.
Detailed technical explanation
CodeBuild uses the service role's IAM policy to authorize S3 operations. The s3:GetObject permission is required for the source bucket, and the bucket policy must also allow the role. In cross-account scenarios, both the bucket policy and the role's permissions must align. The 'Access Denied' error occurs at the S3 API level when the role's credentials are not authorized for the GetObject action.
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.
Quick reference
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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FAQ
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The service role does not have s3:GetObject permission on the source bucket — The build project 'my-project' uses an S3 bucket as the source. When CodeBuild downloads source code from S3, the service role must have the s3:GetObject permission on the source bucket. The 'Access Denied' error indicates that the role lacks this permission, making option B the most likely cause.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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