The answer is IAM identity-based policies attached to the IAM roles. This is correct because AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) does not support resource-based policies, meaning you cannot attach a policy directly to a certificate resource itself; instead, you must use IAM identity-based policies to control access to ACM certificates by specifying which actions (like RequestCertificate, RenewCertificate, or DeleteCertificate) a given role is allowed to perform. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of ACM’s access control model, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly assume resource-based policies are available for ACM, similar to how they work with S3 or KMS. A common memory tip: remember that ACM is a regional, managed service that relies entirely on IAM for authorization—think “ACM = IAM only, no resource policies.”
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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 company uses AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) to issue certificates for a fleet of Application Load Balancers. The security team requires that only specific IAM roles can request, renew, or delete ACM certificates. Which policy type should be used to enforce this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
IAM identity-based policies attached to the IAM roles
Option B is correct because ACM does not support resource-based policies; IAM policies are used to control access. Option A is wrong because ACM does not support resource-based policies. Option C is wrong because service control policies apply to all accounts in an organization, not to specific roles. Option D is wrong because AWS Managed Policies are predefined but can be customized; the question asks for the policy type, not a specific policy.
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.
✗
AWS managed policies such as AWSCertificateManagerFullAccess
Why it's wrong here
Managed policies are a type of IAM policy, but the question asks for the policy type; B is more precise.
✗
Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations
Why it's wrong here
SCPs apply to all accounts, not specific roles.
✓
IAM identity-based policies attached to the IAM roles
Why this is correct
IAM policies control access to ACM actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Resource-based policies attached to the ACM certificates
Why it's wrong here
ACM does not support resource-based policies.
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 ANS-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.
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: IAM identity-based policies attached to the IAM roles — Option B is correct because ACM does not support resource-based policies; IAM policies are used to control access. Option A is wrong because ACM does not support resource-based policies. Option C is wrong because service control policies apply to all accounts in an organization, not to specific roles. Option D is wrong because AWS Managed Policies are predefined but can be customized; the question asks for the policy type, not a specific policy.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which ANS-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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Question Discussion
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