The correct answer is to use attribute-based access control (ABAC) with IAM Identity Center and session tags from Active Directory. This solution is the most scalable and maintainable because it dynamically grants permissions based on user attributes—such as job function—passed as session tags, allowing a single policy to govern access across multiple accounts without needing to update roles for each new user or account. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how ABAC decouples permissions from identity, making it ideal for large, growing organizations with a central identity source. A common trap is choosing role-based access control (RBAC), which requires constant role updates as users change roles or accounts are added, whereas ABAC scales automatically. Memory tip: ABAC = “Attributes Beat Adding Roles”—when you see “multi-account” and “job function” in the same question, think tags, not roles.
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 multinational corporation is migrating to AWS and needs to manage permissions across multiple accounts using AWS IAM Identity Center (successor to AWS SSO). The company has a central identity source in Microsoft Active Directory. They need to grant different levels of access to users based on their job function. Which combination of AWS services will provide the most scalable and maintainable solution?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use attribute-based access control (ABAC) with IAM Identity Center and session tags from Active Directory.
Option C is correct because it uses attribute-based access control (ABAC) with IAM Identity Center, which allows permissions to be dynamically granted based on user attributes (e.g., job function) passed as session tags from Active Directory. This approach scales seamlessly as users and accounts grow, since policies reference tags rather than individual users or groups, and it centralizes identity management without requiring per-account role updates.
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.
✗
Create a permission set in IAM Identity Center for each job function and assign to appropriate groups.
Why it's wrong here
This works but is less scalable as job functions change.
✗
Use AWS Organizations to attach SCPs that grant permissions based on user tags.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot grant permissions; they only deny or allow.
✓
Use attribute-based access control (ABAC) with IAM Identity Center and session tags from Active Directory.
Why this is correct
ABAC with session tags allows permissions to be based on user attributes, simplifying management.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use IAM roles directly in each account and manage trust policies centrally.
Why it's wrong here
This does not scale well across many accounts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Option A (permission sets per job function) because it seems straightforward, but they overlook the scalability and maintenance benefits of ABAC, which AWS explicitly recommends for large, dynamic environments with a central identity source.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ABAC with IAM Identity Center leverages session tags derived from Active Directory attributes (e.g., department or job code) via the SAML 2.0 assertion or SCIM provisioning. When a user authenticates, IAM Identity Center passes these tags as temporary credentials, and IAM policies use condition keys like 'aws:PrincipalTag' to evaluate access. This eliminates the need to update policies when users change roles, as permissions are determined at runtime based on the tag values.
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 attribute-based access control (ABAC) with IAM Identity Center and session tags from Active Directory. — Option C is correct because it uses attribute-based access control (ABAC) with IAM Identity Center, which allows permissions to be dynamically granted based on user attributes (e.g., job function) passed as session tags from Active Directory. This approach scales seamlessly as users and accounts grow, since policies reference tags rather than individual users or groups, and it centralizes identity management without requiring per-account role updates.
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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