- A
Create an IAM user for the pipeline and store access keys in the CI system.
Why wrong: IAM users typically rely on long-lived access keys, which you need to avoid by requirement.
- B
Create an IAM role in the production account, grant least-privilege policies, and let the CI assume it using STS AssumeRole.
IAM roles with STS provide temporary credentials and allow least-privilege permissions via attached policies.
- C
Attach the required permissions to an IAM group and add the pipeline’s principal to that group directly.
Why wrong: Groups apply to IAM identities using credentials, but this does not inherently provide temporary STS credentials.
- D
Use AWS KMS to encrypt the pipeline’s access keys and store the ciphertext in the CI system.
Why wrong: Encrypting access keys does not replace the need for long-lived credentials and does not use STS.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create an IAM role in the production account with least-privilege policies and have the CI/CD pipeline assume it using AWS STS AssumeRole. This approach is correct because it generates temporary credentials that automatically expire, eliminating the need for long-lived access keys while meeting strict security requirements. The role’s policies can be scoped precisely to allow reading specific parameters from Systems Manager Parameter Store and writing application logs to CloudWatch Logs, adhering to the principle of least privilege. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-account access and temporary credential generation via STS, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose to attach a policy directly to the CI/CD service or use long-lived keys. A key memory tip is “Assume, don’t attach”—always think of STS AssumeRole when you see “temporary credentials” and “CI/CD pipeline” together, as it enforces automatic credential rotation and fine-grained access control.
SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure architectures. 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.
A CI/CD pipeline needs to deploy to your production environment. Security requires that the pipeline uses temporary credentials (not long-lived access keys) and only has permissions to read a specific set of parameters from AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and write application logs to CloudWatch Logs. What is the best AWS approach?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Create an IAM role in the production account, grant least-privilege policies, and let the CI assume it using STS AssumeRole.
Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role with least-privilege policies that the CI/CD pipeline can assume via AWS STS AssumeRole, providing temporary credentials that automatically expire. This avoids long-lived access keys and meets the security requirement of using temporary credentials. The role can be scoped to allow only reading specific parameters from Systems Manager Parameter Store and writing logs to CloudWatch Logs, adhering to the principle of least privilege.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM user for the pipeline and store access keys in the CI system.
Why it's wrong here
IAM users typically rely on long-lived access keys, which you need to avoid by requirement.
- ✓
Create an IAM role in the production account, grant least-privilege policies, and let the CI assume it using STS AssumeRole.
Why this is correct
IAM roles with STS provide temporary credentials and allow least-privilege permissions via attached policies.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Attach the required permissions to an IAM group and add the pipeline’s principal to that group directly.
Why it's wrong here
Groups apply to IAM identities using credentials, but this does not inherently provide temporary STS credentials.
- ✗
Use AWS KMS to encrypt the pipeline’s access keys and store the ciphertext in the CI system.
Why it's wrong here
Encrypting access keys does not replace the need for long-lived credentials and does not use STS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think IAM users with access keys are acceptable for automation, but the question explicitly requires temporary credentials, making the IAM role with STS AssumeRole the only correct approach.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When the CI/CD pipeline calls STS AssumeRole, it receives a temporary security token (access key ID, secret access key, and session token) valid for a configurable duration (default 1 hour, max 12 hours). The role's trust policy must explicitly allow the CI/CD system's AWS account or external identity provider to assume the role, and the permissions policy grants only the required actions (e.g., ssm:GetParameter on specific ARNs and logs:PutLogEvents on specific log groups). This approach also supports cross-account access if the pipeline runs in a different AWS account.
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.
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
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design Secure Architectures — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design Secure Architectures practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAA-C03 questions
1,040 questions across all exam domains
- →
SAA-C03 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAA-C03 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAA-C03 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Secure Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Secure Architectures.
Design Resilient Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Resilient Architectures.
Design High-Performing Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design High-Performing Architectures.
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Cost-Optimized Architectures.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAA-C03 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Secure Architectures — This question tests Design Secure Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM role in the production account, grant least-privilege policies, and let the CI assume it using STS AssumeRole. — Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role with least-privilege policies that the CI/CD pipeline can assume via AWS STS AssumeRole, providing temporary credentials that automatically expire. This avoids long-lived access keys and meets the security requirement of using temporary credentials. The role can be scoped to allow only reading specific parameters from Systems Manager Parameter Store and writing logs to CloudWatch Logs, adhering to the principle of least privilege.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on SAA-C03
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. A CI/CD pipeline needs to deploy to your production environment. Security requires that the pipeline uses temporary credentials (not long-lived access keys) and only has permissions to read a specific set of parameters from AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and write application logs to CloudWatch Logs. What is the best AWS approach?
easy- A.Create an IAM user for the pipeline and store access keys in the CI system.
- ✓ B.Create an IAM role in the production account, grant least-privilege policies, and let the CI assume it using STS AssumeRole.
- C.Attach the required permissions to an IAM group and add the pipeline’s principal to that group directly.
- D.Use AWS KMS to encrypt the pipeline’s access keys and store the ciphertext in the CI system.
Why B: Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role with least-privilege policies that the CI/CD pipeline can assume via AWS STS AssumeRole, generating temporary credentials that automatically expire. This eliminates the need for long-lived access keys and adheres to the security requirement of using temporary credentials. The role's policies can be scoped to exactly read specific parameters from Systems Manager Parameter Store and write logs to CloudWatch Logs.
Keep practising
More SAA-C03 practice questions
- A content publishing system uses Lambda functions that call an unreliable third-party API. Failed events must be retaine…
- A startup runs two EC2-based workloads in the same AWS Region. Its customer-facing API is always on, and its nightly vid…
- A warehouse integration service must use shared file storage across Linux EC2 instances in multiple Availability Zones.…
- A team runs a stateless web app on Amazon EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer. During traffic spikes, new EC2 instan…
- A service in private subnets downloads product images from Amazon S3 and stores job state in DynamoDB. A NAT Gateway is…
- A static site is hosted in Amazon S3 and delivered by CloudFront. After a frontend release, the same JavaScript bundles…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SAA-C03 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 SAA-C03 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.