The answer is that an SCP at the root level denies EC2 actions, overriding the permissive development OU policy. This occurs because AWS Organizations applies a deny-first, allow-last evaluation model: any explicit deny in a root or parent OU SCP cascades down to all child OUs and accounts, regardless of a child OU’s permissive SCP. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SCP inheritance and the boundary nature of service control policies—they act as guardrails that cannot be bypassed by IAM permissions, even full admin rights. A common trap is assuming a child OU’s “Allow All” SCP overrides a restrictive root SCP, but in reality, an explicit deny at any level in the hierarchy blocks the action. Memory tip: think of SCPs as “permission ceilings”—the most restrictive policy in the ancestry chain always wins.
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 uses AWS Organizations with a hierarchical OU structure. The security OU has an SCP that denies all actions except those explicitly allowed. The development OU has an SCP that allows all actions. A developer account in the development OU tries to launch an EC2 instance but receives an access denied error. The IAM user in the developer account has full administrator permissions. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An SCP at the root level denies EC2 actions.
Option C is correct because SCPs at the root or parent OU can affect child OUs. If the root has a restrictive SCP, it will apply to all accounts, including those in the development OU. Option A is wrong because SCPs do not enforce encryption requirements. Option B is wrong because SCPs only deny if explicitly stated; if the development OU SCP allows all, and the root SCP is the issue, the root SCP is the cause. Option D is wrong because SCPs do not require MFA unless the SCP itself denies actions without MFA.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
An SCP at the root level denies EC2 actions.
Why this is correct
A restrictive SCP at the root would override the permissive development OU SCP.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The SCP at the development OU level denies EC2 actions.
Why it's wrong here
The development OU SCP allows all actions.
✗
The IAM user does not have MFA enabled, and an SCP requires MFA.
An SCP at the root level requires encryption on EC2 instances, which is not satisfied.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs do not enforce encryption; they only control permissions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: An SCP at the root level denies EC2 actions. — Option C is correct because SCPs at the root or parent OU can affect child OUs. If the root has a restrictive SCP, it will apply to all accounts, including those in the development OU. Option A is wrong because SCPs do not enforce encryption requirements. Option B is wrong because SCPs only deny if explicitly stated; if the development OU SCP allows all, and the root SCP is the issue, the root SCP is the cause. Option D is wrong because SCPs do not require MFA unless the SCP itself denies actions without MFA.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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