AWS SSO Required Components
A company wants to use AWS Single Sign-On (SSO) to manage access to multiple AWS accounts and business applications. Which TWO components are required for this setup?
Quick Answer
The answer is an identity source and permission sets. AWS SSO requires an identity source, such as an external IdP like Azure AD or Okta, to authenticate users, and permission sets to define the level of access each user or group has to AWS accounts and business applications. Permission sets are essentially collections of IAM policies that are assigned to users or groups within AWS SSO, enabling granular, account-specific access control without creating IAM users in each account. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of centralized access management across a multi-account environment, often appearing in scenarios involving account governance or federation. A common trap is confusing permission sets with Service Control Policies (SCPs)—remember that SCPs set guardrails at the organization level, while permission sets grant actual access within accounts. Memory tip: SSO needs a source (who you are) and a set (what you can do).
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often mistakenly think an external IdP is mandatory for AWS SSO, but AWS SSO includes a built-in identity store that can manage access to AWS accounts. An external IdP is optional and primarily needed for business applications.
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
✓
Permission sets that define the level of access to each account
AWS Single Sign-On requires an identity source and permission sets. The identity source can be the built-in identity store or an external identity provider (IdP). Therefore, an external IdP is not strictly required. From the given options, only permission sets (E) are a required component.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Cloud Directory
Why it's wrong here
AWS Cloud Directory is not a component of AWS SSO; it's a separate service for building cloud-native directories.
- ✗
A service control policy (SCP) attached to the root
Why it's wrong here
Service control policies are not required for AWS SSO setup; they are used for permission management at the organization level.
- ✗
An IAM user in each account
Why it's wrong here
IAM users in each account are not required; AWS SSO uses IAM roles for access.
- ✗
An external identity provider (IdP) such as Azure AD or Okta
Why it's wrong here
An external identity provider is optional; the built-in identity store can be used as the identity source.
- ✓
Permission sets that define the level of access to each account
Why this is correct
Permission sets are always required to define access levels for users and groups.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SAP-C02
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. The company has an existing identity provider (IdP) that supports SAML 2.0. Which AWS service should be used to integrate with the IdP?
easy- A.AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory.
- B.Amazon Cognito user pools.
- ✓ C.AWS IAM Identity Center.
- D.AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) with SAML federation.
Why C: AWS IAM Identity Center (formerly AWS SSO) is the recommended service for centrally managing SSO access to multiple AWS accounts. It natively integrates with external SAML 2.0 identity providers, allowing you to define permissions sets that govern user access across accounts without creating IAM users. This provides a single place to manage user assignments and enforce least-privilege access across your AWS Organization.
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.