The answer is ec2:CreateNetworkInterface, because when SageMaker provisions an endpoint, it must attach an elastic network interface to your VPC to route traffic securely, and the IAM role used for deployment must explicitly grant this permission. Without ec2:CreateNetworkInterface, SageMaker cannot complete the networking setup, resulting in an access denied error even if all other permissions like sagemaker:CreateModel are present. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the underlying infrastructure dependencies SageMaker relies on, often appearing as a trap where you might confuse endpoint invocation permissions with creation permissions. A common mistake is selecting iam:PassRole, but that is needed earlier when passing the role to SageMaker, not during the endpoint creation step. Remember the mnemonic: "Endpoint needs a network, so EC2 must connect."
MLS-C01 Practice Question: Machine Learning Implementation and Operations
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of machine learning implementation and operations. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A company is using an IAM role with the attached policy to deploy a SageMaker model. The data scientist can create training jobs and models, but when trying to create an endpoint, they receive an access denied error. What is the missing permission?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ec2:CreateNetworkInterface
Option E is correct because to create an endpoint, SageMaker needs permission to call ec2:CreateNetworkInterface to set up the elastic network interface in the customer's VPC. Option A (sagemaker:InvokeEndpoint) is for invoking, not creating. Option B (iam:PassRole) is needed to pass the execution role to SageMaker, but the error is about creating endpoint, not passing role. Option C (kms:Decrypt) is for encrypted data. Option D (cloudwatch:PutMetricData) is for publishing metrics.
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.
✗
cloudwatch:PutMetricData
Why it's wrong here
Not required for endpoint creation.
✗
iam:PassRole
Why it's wrong here
PassRole is needed for the execution role, but the error is specifically on creating endpoint.
✓
ec2:CreateNetworkInterface
Why this is correct
SageMaker creates an ENI in the VPC for the endpoint.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
sagemaker:InvokeEndpoint
Why it's wrong here
InvokeEndpoint is for calling the endpoint, not creating.
✗
kms:Decrypt
Why it's wrong here
Not needed unless using encrypted data.
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 MLS-C01 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.
Machine Learning Implementation and Operations — This question tests Machine Learning Implementation and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ec2:CreateNetworkInterface — Option E is correct because to create an endpoint, SageMaker needs permission to call ec2:CreateNetworkInterface to set up the elastic network interface in the customer's VPC. Option A (sagemaker:InvokeEndpoint) is for invoking, not creating. Option B (iam:PassRole) is needed to pass the execution role to SageMaker, but the error is about creating endpoint, not passing role. Option C (kms:Decrypt) is for encrypted data. Option D (cloudwatch:PutMetricData) is for publishing metrics.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which MLS-C01 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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This MLS-C01 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 MLS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
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