The correct approach is to create an SCP that denies console access for IAM users if MFA is not present. This works because AWS Organizations Service Control Policies (SCPs) can centrally enforce MFA for IAM users across all AWS Organization accounts by using the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key set to false, which blocks any AWS API action—including console sign-in—when MFA is absent. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SCPs as a centralized governance tool versus account-level IAM policies, which cannot be enforced across new accounts automatically. A common trap is choosing a solution that requires per-account configuration, such as an IAM policy with a condition, which fails the “automatically applied to new accounts” requirement. Memory tip: think of SCPs as the “bouncer at the organization door”—they check for MFA before anyone enters any account, and new accounts are automatically added to the guest list.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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 company has multiple AWS accounts and wants to centralize the management of security policies. The security team needs to enforce that all IAM users in all accounts must use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to access the AWS Management Console. The solution must be centrally managed and automatically applied to new accounts as they are added. Which approach should be taken?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an SCP that denies console access for IAM users if MFA is not present.
AWS Organizations Service Control Policies (SCPs) can centrally deny AWS API actions (including console access) for all IAM users across multiple accounts if the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key is false. This approach is centrally managed from the management account and automatically applies to new accounts added to the organization, meeting the requirement for centralized enforcement and scalability.
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.
✗
Use AWS Config to detect IAM users without MFA and send alerts.
Create an SCP that denies console access for IAM users if MFA is not present.
Why this is correct
SCPs are centrally managed and apply to all accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS IAM Identity Center to enforce MFA for all users accessing the console.
Why it's wrong here
IAM Identity Center does not manage IAM users in member accounts.
✗
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies console access without MFA.
Why it's wrong here
This is not centrally managed and must be applied to each account manually.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse IAM Identity Center (federated users) with native IAM users, or they assume AWS Config can enforce policies when it only detects and alerts, leading them to pick a non-preventive or non-centralized solution.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The SCP uses the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key, which is a boolean value set by AWS based on whether the session was authenticated with MFA. Critically, this condition key is only present when the session uses temporary credentials (e.g., from STS), not for long-term access keys; for console access, the browser session always uses temporary credentials, so the key is reliable. A common subtlety is that the condition must be set to `BoolIfExists` to avoid blocking requests where the key is absent (e.g., service-linked roles), ensuring only human users are affected.
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 Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an SCP that denies console access for IAM users if MFA is not present. — AWS Organizations Service Control Policies (SCPs) can centrally deny AWS API actions (including console access) for all IAM users across multiple accounts if the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key is false. This approach is centrally managed from the management account and automatically applies to new accounts added to the organization, meeting the requirement for centralized enforcement and scalability.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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