The correct action is to attach IAM policies to the service role that grant permissions to create the resources. This is because a CloudFormation service role requires two separate components: a trust policy that allows the CloudFormation service to assume the role, and an IAM permissions policy that defines what actions the role can perform on your behalf. The error "insufficient permissions" specifically indicates that while the trust policy is correctly configured, the role itself lacks the necessary permissions to provision the stack resources. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the service role architecture, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly try to fix the trust policy instead of the permissions policy. A common memory tip is to think of the trust policy as the "who can get in" and the permissions policy as the "what they can do inside"—both are required for the service role to function correctly.
DOP-C02 Configuration Management and IaC Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. 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 DevOps team is troubleshooting a CloudFormation stack creation failure. The stack uses a service role with the trust policy shown in the exhibit. The error message states: 'Insufficient permissions to create the resource'. Which action should the team take to resolve this issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Attach IAM policies to the service role that grant permissions to create the resources.
Option B is correct because the service role's trust policy allows CloudFormation to assume it, but the role itself needs permissions to create resources. Option A is wrong because the trust policy is correct. Option C is wrong because adding a trust policy is for the stack's role. Option D is wrong because CloudFormation does not need to assume the user role.
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.
✗
Modify the CloudFormation template to use the user's IAM role instead of a service role.
Why it's wrong here
Using the user's role may grant excessive permissions and is not best practice.
✗
Create a new stack policy that allows the required actions.
Why it's wrong here
Stack policies are for protecting resources, not granting permissions.
✗
Add the user's IAM role to the trust policy.
Why it's wrong here
The trust policy is for CloudFormation, not the user.
✓
Attach IAM policies to the service role that grant permissions to create the resources.
Why this is correct
The service role needs permission to create resources on behalf of CloudFormation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Configuration Management and IaC — This question tests Configuration Management and IaC — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Attach IAM policies to the service role that grant permissions to create the resources. — Option B is correct because the service role's trust policy allows CloudFormation to assume it, but the role itself needs permissions to create resources. Option A is wrong because the trust policy is correct. Option C is wrong because adding a trust policy is for the stack's role. Option D is wrong because CloudFormation does not need to assume the user role.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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