The answer is to use AWS SSO to assign the finance group to the finance OU accounts only. This is correct because AWS SSO provides a centralized permission set that maps users or groups directly to specific AWS accounts, and by assigning the finance group exclusively to accounts within the Finance organizational unit, you enforce that those users can only access those accounts. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the boundary between identity-based policies (AWS SSO assignments) and service control policies (SCPs), which affect all principals in an OU regardless of their origin. A common trap is to confuse SCPs with user-specific restrictions—SCPs cannot selectively target users from an external IdP. Remember the memory tip: “SSO assigns the who to the where; SCPs block the what for everyone.”
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 SSO with an external identity provider. The security team needs to enforce that users in the finance department can only access the finance OU accounts. Which configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS SSO to assign the finance group to the finance OU accounts only.
Option D is correct because AWS SSO allows assignment of users/groups to specific accounts, and the finance group can be assigned only to finance OU accounts. Option A is wrong because SCPs affect all users, not just from a specific IdP. Option B is wrong because IAM roles in each account would require manual management. Option C is wrong because the IdP cannot manage AWS account permissions directly.
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.
✗
Configure the external IdP to send a SAML attribute that AWS uses to enforce permissions.
Why it's wrong here
AWS SSO does not support attribute-based access control for account assignment.
✓
Use AWS SSO to assign the finance group to the finance OU accounts only.
Why this is correct
AWS SSO provides direct assignment of users/groups to accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create an SCP that denies access to non-finance accounts for users from the finance group.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot distinguish users from different IdP groups.
✗
Create IAM roles in each finance account and trust the IdP with a condition on the group attribute.
Why it's wrong here
This is complex and does not scale; AWS SSO simplifies.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 SSO to assign the finance group to the finance OU accounts only. — Option D is correct because AWS SSO allows assignment of users/groups to specific accounts, and the finance group can be assigned only to finance OU accounts. Option A is wrong because SCPs affect all users, not just from a specific IdP. Option B is wrong because IAM roles in each account would require manual management. Option C is wrong because the IdP cannot manage AWS account permissions directly.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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