- A
Define cost allocation tags in the management account and activate them for all accounts.
Why wrong: Cost allocation tags need to be activated per account, but they do not enforce tagging.
- B
Use AWS Config rules to automatically tag resources after creation.
Why wrong: Config rules can remediate but do not enforce at creation.
- C
Use an SCP that denies resource creation if the required tags are not present.
Why wrong: SCPs cannot enforce tagging; they only control permissions.
- D
Use tag policies in AWS Organizations to enforce required tags on resources.
Tag policies can enforce tagging across all accounts.
Question 1,425 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 is using AWS Organizations with consolidated billing. The finance team wants to track costs by project, but projects span multiple accounts. Which approach should be used to tag resources consistently across accounts?
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
✓
Use tag policies in AWS Organizations to enforce required tags on resources.
Tag policies in AWS Organizations allow you to centrally define and enforce required tags across all accounts in the organization. When a tag policy is attached to an OU or account, it ensures that resources are created with the specified tags, and noncompliant resources can be identified. This is the most scalable and consistent approach for tagging resources that span multiple accounts, as it works at the organization level without requiring per-account configuration.
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.
- ✗
Define cost allocation tags in the management account and activate them for all accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Cost allocation tags need to be activated per account, but they do not enforce tagging.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to automatically tag resources after creation.
Why it's wrong here
Config rules can remediate but do not enforce at creation.
- ✗
Use an SCP that denies resource creation if the required tags are not present.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot enforce tagging; they only control permissions.
- ✓
Use tag policies in AWS Organizations to enforce required tags on resources.
Why this is correct
Tag policies can enforce tagging across all accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse tag policies with SCPs or AWS Config rules, thinking that SCPs alone can enforce tag requirements, but SCPs only block actions based on existing tags and cannot enforce tag key presence for all services, whereas tag policies provide a centralized, organization-wide mechanism for defining and enforcing tag schemas.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Tag policies use AWS Organizations to define a JSON policy document that specifies allowed tag keys and values, and they can be applied hierarchically to OUs or accounts. When a resource is created, AWS evaluates the tag policy and marks the resource as noncompliant if it violates the policy, but it does not block creation by default—you must use SCPs in conjunction to deny creation. A real-world scenario is a multi-account environment where each project uses a 'Project' tag; tag policies ensure that all accounts use the same tag key and allowed values, enabling consistent cost allocation in consolidated billing reports.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
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Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
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 tag policies in AWS Organizations to enforce required tags on resources. — Tag policies in AWS Organizations allow you to centrally define and enforce required tags across all accounts in the organization. When a tag policy is attached to an OU or account, it ensures that resources are created with the specified tags, and noncompliant resources can be identified. This is the most scalable and consistent approach for tagging resources that span multiple accounts, as it works at the organization level without requiring per-account configuration.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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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