The correct answer is that the request is denied because the policy does not grant the s3:ListBucket permission, which is required to access objects in Amazon S3. Even though the policy allows s3:GetObject, S3 first checks the ListBucket permission when a request is made to an object, because the service needs to verify the bucket exists and the user has listing rights before serving the object. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this concept frequently appears in IAM policy evaluation questions, testing your understanding that s3:ListBucket is a prerequisite for object-level access, not just for listing keys. A common trap is assuming GetObject alone suffices, or misreading condition keys like aws:SourceIp—which only applies to authenticated requests, not anonymous ones. Remember the memory tip: "List before Get" to recall that S3 requires ListBucket permission even for a single object download.
DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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. An IAM policy is attached to a user. The user attempts to download an object from 'example-bucket' from an IP address 10.0.0.5. However, the request is denied. What is the most likely reason?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy does not grant s3:ListBucket permission, which is required to access objects.
Option B is correct because the policy uses a condition key 'aws:SourceIp' which is not evaluated correctly for S3; S3 uses 'aws:SourceIp' only when the request is authenticated via IAM, but for anonymous requests it doesn't apply. However, the more common issue is that the policy does not allow the s3:ListBucket action, which is required to list objects. Option A is wrong because the IP is within range. Option C is wrong because the bucket exists. Option D is wrong because the policy allows GetObject.
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.
✗
The bucket 'example-bucket' does not exist in the account.
Why it's wrong here
No evidence.
✗
The policy uses 'aws:SourceIp' which is not supported for S3.
Why it's wrong here
It is supported for IAM-authenticated requests.
✗
The IP address 10.0.0.5 is not in the allowed range.
Why it's wrong here
10.0.0.5 is within 10.0.0.0/16.
✓
The policy does not grant s3:ListBucket permission, which is required to access objects.
Why this is correct
GetObject alone may not be sufficient if the user needs to list first.
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.
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 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.
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.
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: The policy does not grant s3:ListBucket permission, which is required to access objects. — Option B is correct because the policy uses a condition key 'aws:SourceIp' which is not evaluated correctly for S3; S3 uses 'aws:SourceIp' only when the request is authenticated via IAM, but for anonymous requests it doesn't apply. However, the more common issue is that the policy does not allow the s3:ListBucket action, which is required to list objects. Option A is wrong because the IP is within range. Option C is wrong because the bucket exists. Option D is wrong because the policy allows GetObject.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. A DevOps engineer attaches the IAM policy to an IAM user. The user reports being unable to download objects from the S3 bucket. What is the likely cause?
easy
A.The bucket policy denies access to the user
B.The policy is malformed because the Resource element is incorrect
✓ C.The policy does not allow s3:ListBucket, which is required for the AWS CLI to list objects
D.The user's access key is expired
Why C: The policy only allows s3:GetObject, but the user may be trying to list objects or access a bucket that requires additional permissions. Option A is wrong because the policy allows GetObject. Option B is wrong because the policy is not malformed. Option D is wrong because the user is allowed to access the bucket.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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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