The correct integration method is to set up an AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory and sync with the on-premises Active Directory using AD Connector. This works because AWS SSO cannot directly connect to an on-premises identity source; it requires an AWS Directory Service domain as an intermediary. AD Connector acts as a proxy, forwarding authentication requests from AWS SSO to your on-premises Active Directory without storing any credentials in the cloud, enabling seamless single sign-on across multiple AWS accounts. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid identity architectures and the distinction between direct federation and directory-based integration. A common trap is assuming AWS SSO can natively integrate with on-premises AD via SAML 2.0, but that requires a separate identity provider like ADFS. Remember the memory tip: “AD Connector is the bridge, not the destination”—your on-premises AD stays the source of truth, while AWS Managed AD provides the required cloud-side endpoint.
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 company wants to use AWS Single Sign-On (SSO) to manage access to multiple AWS accounts. The company has an existing identity source in an on-premises Active Directory. Which integration method should the company use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set up an AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory and sync with the on-premises AD using AD Connector.
Option C is correct because AWS SSO supports connecting to an existing Active Directory via AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory, which can be used as an identity source. Option A is wrong because AWS SSO does not directly integrate on-premises AD; it requires a directory in AWS. Option B is wrong because IAM Identity Center (successor to AWS SSO) also requires a directory. Option D is wrong because SAML 2.0 federation with on-premises AD is not a built-in AWS SSO feature; it requires a separate identity provider.
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.
✗
Use SAML 2.0 federation between AWS SSO and the on-premises AD.
Why it's wrong here
SAML federation requires an identity provider (IdP) that supports SAML; on-premises AD alone is not an IdP.
✗
Use AWS IAM Identity Center with an external identity provider that supports SCIM.
Why it's wrong here
IAM Identity Center requires an identity provider; on-premises AD is not supported directly.
✓
Set up an AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory and sync with the on-premises AD using AD Connector.
Why this is correct
AD Connector allows AWS Managed Microsoft AD to proxy authentication to on-premises AD.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure AWS SSO to directly connect to the on-premises Active Directory using LDAP.
Why it's wrong here
AWS SSO does not support direct LDAP connection to on-premises AD.
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: Set up an AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory and sync with the on-premises AD using AD Connector. — Option C is correct because AWS SSO supports connecting to an existing Active Directory via AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory, which can be used as an identity source. Option A is wrong because AWS SSO does not directly integrate on-premises AD; it requires a directory in AWS. Option B is wrong because IAM Identity Center (successor to AWS SSO) also requires a directory. Option D is wrong because SAML 2.0 federation with on-premises AD is not a built-in AWS SSO feature; it requires a separate identity provider.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to implement a single sign-on (SSO) solution for its employees to access multiple AWS accounts and business applications. The company uses Microsoft Active Directory on-premises. Which AWS service should be used to integrate with the existing directory?
easy
A.Amazon Cognito user pools
B.AWS Organizations
C.AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
✓ D.AWS IAM Identity Center (AWS SSO) with an AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory
Why D: AWS IAM Identity Center (formerly AWS SSO) can be integrated with an AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory to provide a single sign-on experience across multiple AWS accounts and business applications. This integration allows users to authenticate using their existing on-premises Active Directory credentials via AD Connector or a two-way forest trust, enabling seamless access to the AWS Management Console, command-line interface, and supported SAML 2.0 applications.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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.
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