MLS-C01 Modeling Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:PutObject"
],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"StringEquals": {
"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "AES256"
}
}
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"StringNotEquals": {
"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "AES256"
}
}
}
]
}
```Refer to the exhibit. A data scientist wants to use SageMaker to train a model using data stored in 'my-bucket'. The training job fails with an access denied error. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume 'access denied' always means an IAM permissions issue, but AWS S3 can return 'Access Denied' for encryption policy violations when the request does not match the bucket's default encryption settings.
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 training job is not requesting server-side encryption with AES256
SageMaker training jobs require server-side encryption with AES256 when the S3 bucket uses default encryption with AES256. If the training job does not explicitly request SSE-S3 (AES256) in its S3 data source configuration, the S3 service denies access, resulting in an 'access denied' error even if the IAM role has full S3 permissions.
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 uses AWS KMS key encryption instead of AES256
Why it's wrong here
The policy explicitly allows AES256; if KMS is used, the condition would fail.
- ✗
The bucket name in the policy does not match the actual bucket name
Why it's wrong here
The policy seems correct; the error is likely due to encryption requirements.
- ✓
The training job is not requesting server-side encryption with AES256
Why this is correct
The policy denies PutObject if encryption is not AES256, so the job must include the encryption header.
- ✗
The bucket is publicly accessible but the IAM role lacks permissions
Why it's wrong here
The policy is correctly attached; the issue is the encryption header.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.