The answer is to apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if required tags are missing, and to deploy AWS Config rules via CloudFormation StackSets across all accounts. The SCP enforces tagging standards at the API level, blocking instance creation before it happens, while Config rules provide ongoing, detective compliance checks for existing resources. This two-pronged approach is a classic pattern on the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, testing your ability to combine preventive and detective controls across a multi-account environment. A common trap is relying solely on IAM policies, which are account-specific and harder to centralize, whereas SCPs apply organization-wide. To remember this, think "SCP to stop, Config to check"—the SCP prevents non-compliant launches, and Config audits what already exists, ensuring you enforce EC2 tagging standards across AWS accounts both proactively and reactively.
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 is managing multiple AWS accounts using AWS Organizations. They want to centralize the management of EC2 instances and enforce tagging standards across all accounts. Which TWO approaches should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy AWS Config rules across all accounts to check for required tags.
Option A is correct because AWS Config rules can be deployed via CloudFormation StackSets across all accounts in an AWS Organization to continuously check for required tags on EC2 instances, enabling centralized enforcement of tagging standards. Option D is correct because a service control policy (SCP) can deny the ec2:RunInstances action if required tags are not present in the request, using the ec2:ResourceTag condition key to enforce tagging at the API level before the instance is created.
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 CloudFormation StackSets to deploy AWS Config rules across all accounts to check for required tags.
Why this is correct
Config rules can enforce tagging compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS Service Catalog to enforce tagging on EC2 products.
Why it's wrong here
Only applies to instances launched through Service Catalog.
✗
Use AWS Resource Access Manager to share a tagging policy across accounts.
Why it's wrong here
RAM shares resources, not policies.
✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the required tags are not specified.
Why this is correct
SCPs can prevent untagged resources from being created.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use EC2 Auto Scaling lifecycle hooks to add tags automatically.
Why it's wrong here
Not applicable to all instances.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Service Catalog's tagging enforcement as a global solution, not realizing it only applies to products launched through the catalog, not to direct EC2 API calls across accounts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Config rules evaluate resources against desired configurations and can trigger auto-remediation via Systems Manager Automation, but they are reactive (post-creation). SCPs with ec2:RunInstances and the aws:RequestTag condition key are proactive, blocking non-compliant API calls before any resource is created; however, SCPs cannot enforce tags on existing resources, so combining both approaches provides comprehensive coverage. CloudFormation StackSets allow deploying AWS Config rules as custom or managed rules (e.g., required-tags) across all accounts and regions in an organization, with automatic drift detection.
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: Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy AWS Config rules across all accounts to check for required tags. — Option A is correct because AWS Config rules can be deployed via CloudFormation StackSets across all accounts in an AWS Organization to continuously check for required tags on EC2 instances, enabling centralized enforcement of tagging standards. Option D is correct because a service control policy (SCP) can deny the ec2:RunInstances action if required tags are not present in the request, using the ec2:ResourceTag condition key to enforce tagging at the API level before the instance is created.
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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