- A
Create a Route 53 Resolver rule in the central account to forward queries to the private hosted zone.
Why wrong: Resolver rules are for outbound queries, not for authorization.
- B
Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone.
IAM permissions control who can perform the association.
- C
Associate each VPC with the private hosted zone using the authorize zone association API.
Authorization is required to associate VPCs from other accounts.
- D
Use AWS RAM to share the private hosted zone with the other accounts.
RAM is used to share the hosted zone so that accounts can associate their VPCs.
- E
Create a VPC peering connection between the central account and each VPC.
Why wrong: VPC peering is not needed for Route 53 private hosted zones.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use AWS RAM to share the private hosted zone with the other accounts, then restrict IAM permissions to control which VPCs can associate with the zone, and finally verify that the shared zone’s association authorization is properly configured. This approach works because AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM) enables cross-account sharing of Route 53 private hosted zones without duplicating DNS records, while IAM policies act as a gatekeeper to ensure only authorized principals can initiate VPC associations, preventing rogue VPCs from resolving internal records. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the shared responsibility model for DNS resolution across organizational boundaries—a common trap is assuming VPC peering alone grants DNS access, when in fact RAM and IAM are required for explicit authorization. Remember the mnemonic “RAM to share, IAM to care” to recall that sharing the zone is not enough; you must also lock down who can associate VPCs.
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 has a central IT account that manages DNS using Amazon Route 53 Private Hosted Zones. Multiple VPCs from different accounts are associated with the same private hosted zone. The company wants to ensure that only authorized VPCs can resolve records in the zone. Which three steps should be taken? (Choose THREE.)
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
Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone.
Option B is correct because restricting IAM permissions ensures that only authorized users can associate VPCs with the private hosted zone, preventing unauthorized VPCs from resolving records. This is a fundamental security control for managing cross-account DNS resolution in Route 53.
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.
- ✗
Create a Route 53 Resolver rule in the central account to forward queries to the private hosted zone.
Why it's wrong here
Resolver rules are for outbound queries, not for authorization.
- ✓
Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone.
Why this is correct
IAM permissions control who can perform the association.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Associate each VPC with the private hosted zone using the authorize zone association API.
Why this is correct
Authorization is required to associate VPCs from other accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use AWS RAM to share the private hosted zone with the other accounts.
Why this is correct
RAM is used to share the hosted zone so that accounts can associate their VPCs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a VPC peering connection between the central account and each VPC.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is not needed for Route 53 private hosted zones.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse VPC peering with DNS resolution; peering provides network connectivity but does not automatically grant DNS resolution from a private hosted zone, which requires explicit association or sharing via AWS RAM.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a private hosted zone is shared via AWS RAM, the association is automatically authorized, and the VPC can resolve records without needing explicit authorization via the API. The `AuthorizeVpcAssociation` API is used when you want to allow a VPC from another account to associate with the zone without using RAM, but it requires the zone owner to call the API first, then the VPC owner to call `AssociateVPC`. This two-step process ensures cross-account authorization is explicit and auditable.
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.
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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: Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone. — Option B is correct because restricting IAM permissions ensures that only authorized users can associate VPCs with the private hosted zone, preventing unauthorized VPCs from resolving records. This is a fundamental security control for managing cross-account DNS resolution in Route 53.
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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Same concept, more angles
1 more ways 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 has a centralized AWS account for managing Amazon Route 53 DNS. The company has 100 VPCs across multiple accounts, and each VPC needs to resolve private hosted zones in the central account. What is the most scalable solution to enable DNS resolution across accounts?
medium- A.Use CloudFormation StackSets to deploy Route 53 private hosted zones in each account
- ✓ B.Use Route 53 Resolver outbound endpoints in the central account and share Resolver rules with other accounts using AWS RAM
- C.Create a VPC peering connection between each VPC and the central account's VPC
- D.Use AWS PrivateLink to connect VPCs to a central DNS service
Why B: Option B is correct because Route 53 Resolver rules can be shared with other accounts using AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM), and outbound endpoints can forward queries. Option A is wrong because VPC peering does not support DNS resolution of private hosted zones across accounts by default. Option C is wrong because PrivateLink is for accessing services, not DNS. Option D is wrong because CloudFormation does not provide DNS resolution.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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