- A
Deploy the pipeline in a central DevOps account. Use cross-account IAM roles to deploy to target accounts.
Correct. A central DevOps account with cross-account IAM roles aligns with AWS best practices for multi-account environments, especially with Control Tower, providing centralized management and security.
- B
Create a separate pipeline in each account using the same source repository.
Why wrong: Duplicating pipelines increases maintenance overhead and does not centralize management.
- C
Use AWS CodePipeline with cross-account actions by assuming IAM roles in each target account.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Although cross-account actions via IAM roles are possible, this approach does not inherently centralize the pipeline, potentially complicating governance and auditing. It is less secure and scalable than Option A.
SAP-C02 AWS Control Tower Practice Question
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. A key principle to apply: aWS Control Tower. 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 multiple AWS accounts managed via AWS Control Tower. The DevOps team wants to deploy a shared CI/CD pipeline that can deploy applications across all accounts. The pipeline must use the same source repository and artifact store. What is the MOST secure and scalable approach?
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
Deploy the pipeline in a central DevOps account. Use cross-account IAM roles to deploy to target accounts.
The most secure and scalable approach is to deploy the CI/CD pipeline in a central DevOps account and use cross-account IAM roles to deploy to target accounts. This centralizes management, simplifies governance, follows least privilege, and scales easily as new accounts are added. Option C, while technically possible, does not necessarily centralize the pipeline in a dedicated account, which can lead to governance challenges and increased complexity. Therefore, only Option A fully meets the requirements.
Key principle: AWS Control Tower
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Deploy the pipeline in a central DevOps account. Use cross-account IAM roles to deploy to target accounts.
Why this is correct
Correct. A central DevOps account with cross-account IAM roles aligns with AWS best practices for multi-account environments, especially with Control Tower, providing centralized management and security.
Related concept
AWS Control Tower
- ✗
Create a separate pipeline in each account using the same source repository.
Why it's wrong here
Duplicating pipelines increases maintenance overhead and does not centralize management.
- ✗
Use AWS CodePipeline with cross-account actions by assuming IAM roles in each target account.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Although cross-account actions via IAM roles are possible, this approach does not inherently centralize the pipeline, potentially complicating governance and auditing. It is less secure and scalable than Option A.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates may think that both A and C are correct, but the question asks for the 'most secure and scalable' approach. Option A explicitly centralizes the pipeline in a dedicated account, which is superior for governance and scalability in a Control Tower setup.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS CodePipeline can use cross-account actions by having the pipeline assume an IAM role in the target account via the AWS Security Token Service (STS) AssumeRole API. The pipeline's service role in the central account must have sts:AssumeRole permissions to the target account roles, which themselves must trust the central account. This pattern is recommended by AWS for multi-account CI/CD because it keeps the pipeline definition and artifact store (e.g., Amazon S3 bucket) in a single account, while deployment actions execute in target accounts with scoped permissions, ensuring auditability and compliance with AWS Control Tower's guardrails.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- AWS Control Tower
- Cross-account IAM role
- AWS CodePipeline
- Central DevOps account
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
AWS Control Tower
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.
Review aWS Control Tower, then practise related SAP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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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 — AWS Control Tower.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy the pipeline in a central DevOps account. Use cross-account IAM roles to deploy to target accounts. — The most secure and scalable approach is to deploy the CI/CD pipeline in a central DevOps account and use cross-account IAM roles to deploy to target accounts. This centralizes management, simplifies governance, follows least privilege, and scales easily as new accounts are added. Option C, while technically possible, does not necessarily centralize the pipeline in a dedicated account, which can lead to governance challenges and increased complexity. Therefore, only Option A fully meets the requirements.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review aWS Control Tower, then practise related SAP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS Control Tower
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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