- A
Add s3:AbortMultipartUpload for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/*.
For multipart uploads, S3 clients use s3:AbortMultipartUpload to stop/cleanup an in-progress multipart upload (for example, when an upload fails or the client cancels). Granting s3:AbortMultipartUpload only on the uploads prefix matches the denied API in the symptom and keeps the permission scoped to the exact objects the service uploads.
- B
Add s3:AbortMultipartUpload for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*.
Why wrong: This would fix the AccessDenied, but it is not least-privilege. The service only needs to abort uploads under the uploads/ prefix, so granting AbortMultipartUpload on the entire bucket broadens the scope unnecessarily.
- C
Add s3:ListBucket for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/* so the service can find parts to abort.
Why wrong: The failure is explicitly for s3:AbortMultipartUpload. Listing parts is not what is being denied in the error message, and s3:ListBucket permissions generally do not grant the ability to abort multipart uploads.
- D
Add kms:Decrypt permissions for the KMS key used to encrypt objects in the bucket.
Why wrong: kms:Decrypt is unrelated to aborting multipart upload sessions. The denied action is s3:AbortMultipartUpload, so adding KMS permissions would not address the missing S3 permission causing the cleanup failure.
Quick Answer
The answer is to add s3:AbortMultipartUpload permission for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/*. This is the correct least-privilege fix because multipart uploads in S3 require explicit permission to abort incomplete upload parts during cleanup; without it, the service cannot terminate orphaned uploads after a failure, leading to the AccessDenied error. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of S3 multipart upload lifecycle permissions and the principle of least privilege—a common trap is granting overly broad actions like s3:* or forgetting that AbortMultipartUpload is separate from PutObject. Remember that multipart uploads involve three distinct permissions: Initiate, UploadPart, and Abort; if you only allow PutObject, cleanup will fail. Memory tip: "Abort is not Put—if cleanup is cut, add Abort to the bucket."
SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure architectures. 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 backend service in AWS uses an IAM role to upload large files to an S3 bucket using multipart upload. The upload typically succeeds, but it intermittently fails during cleanup with this error: "AccessDenied: User is not authorized to perform: s3:AbortMultipartUpload" The role identity policy currently allows only: - s3:PutObject on arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/* - s3:ListBucket on arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket with a prefix condition What is the best least-privilege change to fix the cleanup failure?
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.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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
Add s3:AbortMultipartUpload for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/*.
The error occurs because the IAM role lacks permission to abort multipart uploads. Multipart uploads in S3 require s3:AbortMultipartUpload to clean up incomplete upload parts after a failure or interruption. Option A grants this permission on the specific uploads/* prefix, which is the least-privilege fix because it scopes the action to the exact path where the service uploads files.
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.
- ✓
Add s3:AbortMultipartUpload for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/*.
Why this is correct
For multipart uploads, S3 clients use s3:AbortMultipartUpload to stop/cleanup an in-progress multipart upload (for example, when an upload fails or the client cancels). Granting s3:AbortMultipartUpload only on the uploads prefix matches the denied API in the symptom and keeps the permission scoped to the exact objects the service uploads.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Add s3:AbortMultipartUpload for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*.
Why it's wrong here
This would fix the AccessDenied, but it is not least-privilege. The service only needs to abort uploads under the uploads/ prefix, so granting AbortMultipartUpload on the entire bucket broadens the scope unnecessarily.
- ✗
Add s3:ListBucket for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/* so the service can find parts to abort.
Why it's wrong here
The failure is explicitly for s3:AbortMultipartUpload. Listing parts is not what is being denied in the error message, and s3:ListBucket permissions generally do not grant the ability to abort multipart uploads.
- ✗
Add kms:Decrypt permissions for the KMS key used to encrypt objects in the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
kms:Decrypt is unrelated to aborting multipart upload sessions. The denied action is s3:AbortMultipartUpload, so adding KMS permissions would not address the missing S3 permission causing the cleanup failure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the need for s3:AbortMultipartUpload with other permissions like s3:ListBucket or KMS actions, or they may over-scope the permission to the entire bucket instead of the specific prefix.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Multipart uploads in S3 involve three phases: initiate, upload parts, and complete or abort. The s3:AbortMultipartUpload action is required to discard incomplete uploads and release storage consumed by uploaded parts. Without it, the cleanup step fails, leaving orphaned parts that incur storage costs. The error message explicitly references s3:AbortMultipartUpload, making the missing permission unambiguous.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Add s3:AbortMultipartUpload for arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/uploads/*. — The error occurs because the IAM role lacks permission to abort multipart uploads. Multipart uploads in S3 require s3:AbortMultipartUpload to clean up incomplete upload parts after a failure or interruption. Option A grants this permission on the specific uploads/* prefix, which is the least-privilege fix because it scopes the action to the exact path where the service uploads files.
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", "least". 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.
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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.
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