- A
Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not in the approved list, and use AWS CloudFormation hooks to enforce the same.
Preventive at the API level and works for CloudFormation deployments.
- B
Use AWS CloudTrail to trigger an AWS Lambda function that terminates non-compliant instances.
Why wrong: Reactive and has latency.
- C
Use AWS Systems Manager to scan instances and apply a tag for non-compliance.
Why wrong: Does not prevent launch.
- D
Use AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant instances and automatically terminate them.
Why wrong: Reactive and may cause disruption.
Question 551 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. 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 multi-account environment with over 500 accounts. They need to enforce that all EC2 instances are launched only in approved instance families (e.g., t3, m5, c5). Which combination of AWS services provides the MOST scalable and effective enforcement?
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 a service control policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not in the approved list, and use AWS CloudFormation hooks to enforce the same.
Option A is correct because SCPs provide preventive, account-level enforcement that blocks unauthorized EC2 instance launches before they occur, while CloudFormation hooks add a second layer of preventive control at the infrastructure-as-code level. This combination is the most scalable for 500+ accounts because SCPs are applied centrally via AWS Organizations and CloudFormation hooks operate at deployment time, ensuring no non-compliant instance is ever created.
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 a service control policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not in the approved list, and use AWS CloudFormation hooks to enforce the same.
Why this is correct
Preventive at the API level and works for CloudFormation deployments.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to trigger an AWS Lambda function that terminates non-compliant instances.
Why it's wrong here
Reactive and has latency.
- ✗
Use AWS Systems Manager to scan instances and apply a tag for non-compliance.
Why it's wrong here
Does not prevent launch.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant instances and automatically terminate them.
Why it's wrong here
Reactive and may cause disruption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose reactive options like AWS Config or Lambda-based termination because they seem simpler, but the question asks for the 'MOST scalable and effective enforcement,' which requires preventive controls (SCPs and CloudFormation hooks) that block non-compliant launches entirely, rather than cleaning up after the fact.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs work by evaluating the ec2:RunInstances action against the ec2:InstanceType condition key; a Deny effect with a ForAllValues:StringNotLike condition on an approved list (e.g., 't3.*', 'm5.*', 'c5.*') blocks any instance type not matching the pattern. CloudFormation hooks use a Lambda-backed handler that validates instance type parameters against the approved list during stack creation, providing a second preventive layer that works even if SCPs are bypassed by a delegated administrator or if the launch is performed outside the account's direct control.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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 a service control policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not in the approved list, and use AWS CloudFormation hooks to enforce the same. — Option A is correct because SCPs provide preventive, account-level enforcement that blocks unauthorized EC2 instance launches before they occur, while CloudFormation hooks add a second layer of preventive control at the infrastructure-as-code level. This combination is the most scalable for 500+ accounts because SCPs are applied centrally via AWS Organizations and CloudFormation hooks operate at deployment time, ensuring no non-compliant instance is ever created.
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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