The correct answer is that the user can describe instances but cannot terminate instances in any region. This outcome occurs because the IAM policy attached to the group explicitly denies the ec2:TerminateInstances action while allowing ec2:DescribeInstances, and since IAM denies are evaluated first and override any allows, the termination attempt fails regardless of the region specified in the CLI command. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of IAM policy evaluation logic, specifically that an explicit deny always takes precedence over an allow, and that group-attached policies apply uniformly across all regions. A common trap is assuming the deny only applies to us-east-1 because the user is operating there, but IAM policies are global by default unless scoped with a condition. Memory tip: think “Deny first, deny always” — once an explicit deny is in the policy, no allow can override it, no matter the region.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The user can describe instances but cannot terminate instances in any region.
The IAM policy attached to the group allows the user to describe instances (ec2:DescribeInstances) but explicitly denies the ability to terminate instances (ec2:TerminateInstances) in any region. Since the policy is attached to the group, the user inherits these permissions, so they can list instances but any attempt to terminate them will be denied by AWS IAM, regardless of the region specified.
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.
✗
The user cannot describe instances or terminate instances.
Why it's wrong here
Describe is allowed by the first statement.
✗
The user can terminate instances and describe instances.
Why it's wrong here
Deny overrides Allow for termination.
✓
The user can describe instances but cannot terminate instances in any region.
Why this is correct
The Deny resource uses a wildcard for instance ID, effectively denying termination of any instance in the account in us-east-1.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The user can describe instances but cannot terminate any instances.
Why it's wrong here
The user can describe, but the Deny prevents termination.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume that a Deny on a specific action (terminate) also blocks related read actions (describe), but IAM evaluates each action independently, so describe is still allowed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAM policies are evaluated using an explicit deny override: if a policy attached to a group contains an explicit Deny for ec2:TerminateInstances, that deny takes precedence over any Allow, even if the user has other permissions. The ec2:DescribeInstances action is a read-only operation and is not affected by the deny on termination, so it succeeds. In real-world scenarios, this pattern is used to enforce separation of duties, where operators can view resources but not modify or delete them.
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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The user can describe instances but cannot terminate instances in any region. — The IAM policy attached to the group allows the user to describe instances (ec2:DescribeInstances) but explicitly denies the ability to terminate instances (ec2:TerminateInstances) in any region. Since the policy is attached to the group, the user inherits these permissions, so they can list instances but any attempt to terminate them will be denied by AWS IAM, regardless of the region specified.
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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