The correct answer is to apply a Service Control Policy (SCP) to the development account that denies the iam:CreateUser action. This is effective because SCPs act as a centralized permission guardrail at the AWS Organizations level, setting a maximum permission boundary that overrides any IAM policies attached to users or roles within the member account. Even if a developer has full administrative privileges via an IAM policy, the SCP will block the creation of IAM users, making it the only option that cannot be bypassed by the account’s own administrators. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how SCPs differ from IAM policies—specifically that SCPs do not grant permissions but can deny actions across an entire account, regardless of local IAM configurations. A common trap is choosing IAM policies or groups, which can be circumvented if users have broader permissions like AdministratorAccess. Memory tip: SCPs are the “ceiling” for an account—no one inside can build higher than the SCP allows.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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 is using AWS Organizations with consolidated billing. The company has a production account and a development account. The security team needs to ensure that developers cannot create IAM users in the development account. Which option is the MOST effective?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply an SCP to the development account that denies iam:CreateUser.
Option C is correct because an SCP can deny the iam:CreateUser action in the development account. Option A is wrong because IAM policies attached to developers affect their user permissions, but if they have admin privileges, they can bypass. Option B is wrong because IAM groups can be bypassed if users have other permissions. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail only logs, does not prevent.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Apply an SCP to the development account that denies iam:CreateUser.
Why this is correct
SCPs are effective even for users with full administrative permissions.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Create an IAM group for developers with a policy that denies iam:CreateUser.
Why it's wrong here
Same issue as A; developers might be able to leave the group.
✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to monitor iam:CreateUser calls.
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring does not prevent the action.
✗
Attach an IAM policy to each developer user that denies iam:CreateUser.
Why it's wrong here
If developers have permissions to change their own policies, they could remove this deny.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SAP-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply an SCP to the development account that denies iam:CreateUser. — Option C is correct because an SCP can deny the iam:CreateUser action in the development account. Option A is wrong because IAM policies attached to developers affect their user permissions, but if they have admin privileges, they can bypass. Option B is wrong because IAM groups can be bypassed if users have other permissions. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail only logs, does not prevent.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SAP-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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