- A
Use AWS Config rules to detect users without MFA and send alerts.
Why wrong: Detective control, not preventive; users can still access without MFA.
- B
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor console logins and trigger an automatic remediation.
Why wrong: Reactive, not preventive; relies on automation that may not be instantaneous.
- C
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies access without MFA.
Why wrong: This is not centralized and requires manual updates in each account.
- D
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies all actions if the user does not have MFA enabled.
SCPs enforce centrally across all accounts in the organization.
Question 1,060 of 1,746
Using SCPs to Require Multi-Factor Authentication for Console Access
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.
An organization uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all IAM users in all accounts must use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to access the AWS Management Console. What is the most efficient way to enforce this?
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
✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies all actions if the user does not have MFA enabled.
Option D is correct because a Service Control Policy (SCP) applied at the root or organizational unit (OU) level in AWS Organizations can centrally deny all AWS API actions for any principal that does not have a multi-factor authentication (MFA) device associated with the session. This enforces MFA across all member accounts without requiring individual account-level IAM policy changes, making it the most efficient and scalable solution for the security team's requirement.
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 AWS Config rules to detect users without MFA and send alerts.
Why it's wrong here
Detective control, not preventive; users can still access without MFA.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor console logins and trigger an automatic remediation.
Why it's wrong here
Reactive, not preventive; relies on automation that may not be instantaneous.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies access without MFA.
Why it's wrong here
This is not centralized and requires manual updates in each account.
- ✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies all actions if the user does not have MFA enabled.
Why this is correct
SCPs enforce centrally across all accounts in the organization.
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 choose Option C (per-account IAM policy) because they think SCPs cannot affect IAM users directly, but SCPs apply to all principals in an account, including IAM users, and are the only way to enforce a blanket MFA requirement across all accounts from a single point.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
An SCP with a condition key like `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` set to `false` and an effect of `Deny` on all actions (`*`) effectively blocks any API call made without MFA, including console login. Under the hood, SCPs are evaluated before IAM policies and do not grant permissions themselves—they only set permission boundaries, so they cannot be bypassed by local account administrators. In a real-world scenario, this ensures that even if a user has full administrative privileges in their account, they cannot access the console or make API calls unless they have authenticated with MFA.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAP-C02 questions
1,746 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity.
Design for New Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design for New Solutions.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies all actions if the user does not have MFA enabled. — Option D is correct because a Service Control Policy (SCP) applied at the root or organizational unit (OU) level in AWS Organizations can centrally deny all AWS API actions for any principal that does not have a multi-factor authentication (MFA) device associated with the session. This enforces MFA across all member accounts without requiring individual account-level IAM policy changes, making it the most efficient and scalable solution for the security team's requirement.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SAP-C02 practice questions
- A company wants to automate the migration of on-premises servers to AWS. The migration plan includes discovery, assessme…
- A company is using AWS Organizations with hundreds of accounts. The central IT team needs to deploy a common set of AWS…
- A multinational company operates a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. The security team needs to enf…
- A company has a multi-account AWS environment with a centralized logging account. The security team needs to analyze VPC…
- A company has multiple AWS accounts and wants to centralize logging of all API calls. Which TWO services should be used…
- Match each AWS compute service to its use case.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.