SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:PutObject"
],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:*",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/confidential/*"
}
]
}
```An IAM policy attached to a user allows s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject on my-bucket, but denies all actions on the confidential/ prefix. The user reports that they can still upload objects to the confidential/ folder. Why?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Deny statement is in a separate policy that is not attached to the user.
IAM policy evaluation follows the rule that an explicit Deny always overrides any Allow. If both the Allow and Deny statements were in an attached policy, the Deny would block uploads to the confidential/ prefix. Therefore, the fact that the user can still upload indicates that the Deny statement is in a policy that is not attached to the user (or not effective). Option C correctly identifies this: the Deny statement is in a separate policy that is not attached to the user.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The Allow statement appears before the Deny statement in the policy.
Why it's wrong here
In IAM, the order of statements does not affect evaluation; an explicit Deny always overrides any Allow regardless of order.
- ✗
The Deny statement is not explicit enough to override the Allow.
Why it's wrong here
An explicit Deny is sufficiently powerful to override any Allow; this is not a matter of 'explicitness' but of the Deny actually being applied.
- ✓
The Deny statement is in a separate policy that is not attached to the user.
Why this is correct
If the Deny statement is in a policy that is not attached to the user, it never gets evaluated, so the Allow from the attached policy permits the upload.
- ✗
The Deny statement's resource ARN does not match the confidential folder objects.
Why it's wrong here
The resource ARN 'arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/confidential/*' correctly matches objects under the confidential/ prefix, so this would not cause the Deny to fail.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAP-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAP-C02 exam.