- A
The CloudFormation template specifies SSE-KMS encryption, which is not allowed by the SCP.
Correct. The SCP likely denies bucket creation with encryption other than SSE-S3, so specifying SSE-KMS triggers the denial.
- B
The SCP is denying the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action, which is required for all bucket creation requests.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action is unrelated to encryption. Denying it would cause a different error, not an access denied related to encryption.
- C
The SCP is incorrectly scoped to the management account instead of the member accounts.
Why wrong: Incorrect. If the SCP were scoped to the management account, member accounts would not be affected at all, so no access denied would occur. The error indicates the SCP is applied and enforced.
- D
The CloudFormation service role does not have permissions to create buckets in the target account.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The CloudFormation service role may lack permissions, but the question specifies that the error occurs even when the template includes encryption. This points to an SCP issue rather than an IAM permissions issue.
DOP-C02 Service Control Policy (SCP) Practice Question
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. A key principle to apply: service Control Policy (SCP). 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.
An organization uses AWS CloudFormation to manage infrastructure across multiple accounts using AWS Organizations. They want to enforce that all S3 buckets are encrypted with SSE-S3. A DevOps engineer creates a service control policy (SCP) to deny the creation of any S3 bucket without encryption. However, CloudFormation stack creation fails with an access denied error even when the template includes encryption. 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.
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
The CloudFormation template specifies SSE-KMS encryption, which is not allowed by the SCP.
Option A is correct because the SCP denies the creation of S3 buckets without encryption, but it specifically allows only SSE-S3 encryption. If the CloudFormation template specifies SSE-KMS encryption, the SCP will deny the request, causing an access denied error—even though encryption is present. This mismatch between the encryption type required by the SCP (SSE-S3) and what the template requests (SSE-KMS) is the most likely cause of the failure.
Key principle: Service Control Policy (SCP)
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 CloudFormation template specifies SSE-KMS encryption, which is not allowed by the SCP.
Why this is correct
Correct. The SCP likely denies bucket creation with encryption other than SSE-S3, so specifying SSE-KMS triggers the denial.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Service Control Policy (SCP)
- ✗
The SCP is denying the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action, which is required for all bucket creation requests.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action is unrelated to encryption. Denying it would cause a different error, not an access denied related to encryption.
- ✗
The SCP is incorrectly scoped to the management account instead of the member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If the SCP were scoped to the management account, member accounts would not be affected at all, so no access denied would occur. The error indicates the SCP is applied and enforced.
- ✗
The CloudFormation service role does not have permissions to create buckets in the target account.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The CloudFormation service role may lack permissions, but the question specifies that the error occurs even when the template includes encryption. This points to an SCP issue rather than an IAM permissions issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap is assuming that any encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS) satisfies the SCP requirement. However, SCPs can be very specific; if the SCP only allows SSE-S3, then using SSE-KMS will be denied. Candidates may overlook the distinction between encryption types.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs are applied to the root, OU, or account level and act as a guardrail that limits permissions for all IAM users and roles in member accounts, but they do not affect the management account. When a CloudFormation stack creation fails with an access denied error, the first step is to check CloudTrail logs for the specific denied action—often it is s3:PutBucketEncryption if the template includes encryption but the SCP denies unencrypted buckets, or the error could stem from the service role lacking permissions. In real-world scenarios, misconfiguring SCP scope is common because engineers assume SCPs apply to all accounts, including the management account, leading to unexpected failures.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Service Control Policy (SCP)
- SSE-S3 vs SSE-KMS
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
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| 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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review service Control Policy (SCP), then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — Service Control Policy (SCP).
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The CloudFormation template specifies SSE-KMS encryption, which is not allowed by the SCP. — Option A is correct because the SCP denies the creation of S3 buckets without encryption, but it specifically allows only SSE-S3 encryption. If the CloudFormation template specifies SSE-KMS encryption, the SCP will deny the request, causing an access denied error—even though encryption is present. This mismatch between the encryption type required by the SCP (SSE-S3) and what the template requests (SSE-KMS) is the most likely cause of the failure.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review service Control Policy (SCP), then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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?
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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