The answer is to modify the SCP to allow s3:PutObject for the CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs service principals without requiring the tag. This is correct because service principals like CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs do not automatically include user-defined tags when writing objects to S3, so a blanket SCP denying untagged PutObject requests will silently block log delivery. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how SCPs interact with AWS-managed services and the principle of least privilege—a common trap is assuming you can force tags on all write operations, but logging services lack native tagging capability. The key insight is that SCPs apply to all principals, including service principals, and you must explicitly exempt them. Memory tip: “Services don’t tag logs—exempt the principals.”
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 global e-commerce company uses AWS Organizations with over 500 accounts. They have a central security account that aggregates CloudTrail logs and VPC Flow Logs from all accounts. The security team needs to analyze these logs using Amazon Athena and visualize the results in Amazon QuickSight. The logs are stored in an S3 bucket in the security account, and each member account writes its own prefix. The current setup uses a bucket policy to allow member accounts to write logs. Recently, the security team has been unable to query logs for the past week. They suspect the issue is related to a new SCP that was applied to the root. The SCP denies s3:PutObject unless the request includes a specific tag. Which action should the security team take to restore log delivery without compromising security?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the SCP to allow s3:PutObject for the CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs service principals without requiring the tag.
The SCP denies s3:PutObject unless the request includes a specific tag. CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs do not automatically include tags. The solution is to modify the SCP to allow the necessary services even without the tag. Option C allows the services to bypass the tag requirement.
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.
✗
Remove the SCP from the root.
Why it's wrong here
This would remove security controls entirely.
✗
Modify the bucket policy to allow s3:PutObject without tags.
Why it's wrong here
The SCP denies at the organization level, overriding the bucket policy.
✓
Modify the SCP to allow s3:PutObject for the CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs service principals without requiring the tag.
Why this is correct
This allows the logging services to write logs while still requiring tags for other PutObject calls.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a new S3 bucket without the tag requirement and reconfigure logging to use that bucket.
Why it's wrong here
This is a temporary workaround and does not address the root cause; also requires reconfiguring all accounts.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Modify the SCP to allow s3:PutObject for the CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs service principals without requiring the tag. — The SCP denies s3:PutObject unless the request includes a specific tag. CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs do not automatically include tags. The solution is to modify the SCP to allow the necessary services even without the tag. Option C allows the services to bypass the tag requirement.
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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