- A
Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny resource creation without the 'department' tag, and use AWS Config rules to detect untagged resources.
SCPs prevent creation of untagged resources; Config identifies existing untagged resources.
- B
Use AWS Config rules to enforce tagging on existing resources and automatically tag them.
Why wrong: Config rules cannot automatically tag; they can only detect.
- C
Use AWS Cost Explorer to report on untagged resources.
Why wrong: Cost Explorer can report but does not enforce tagging.
- D
Create an IAM policy that requires tagging for all actions and attach it to all users.
Why wrong: Not all actions support tagging; IAM policies are not account-wide.
Question 1,669 of 1,746
Enforce Tagging
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 uses AWS Organizations with consolidated billing. The finance team needs to track costs by department, which are tagged with 'department' tags. However, some resources are not tagged. The team wants to ensure that all new resources are tagged, and existing untagged resources are identified. What should they do?
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 resource creation without the 'department' tag, and use AWS Config rules to detect untagged resources.
Option A is correct because it combines two complementary AWS services to solve both requirements. A service control policy (SCP) can deny the creation of any resource that does not include the required 'department' tag, enforcing tagging at the organization level across all accounts. AWS Config rules can then be used to detect existing untagged resources by evaluating resources against a desired tagging configuration, providing visibility into non-compliant resources without automatically modifying them.
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 resource creation without the 'department' tag, and use AWS Config rules to detect untagged resources.
Why this is correct
SCPs prevent creation of untagged resources; Config identifies existing untagged resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to enforce tagging on existing resources and automatically tag them.
Why it's wrong here
Config rules cannot automatically tag; they can only detect.
- ✗
Use AWS Cost Explorer to report on untagged resources.
Why it's wrong here
Cost Explorer can report but does not enforce tagging.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy that requires tagging for all actions and attach it to all users.
Why it's wrong here
Not all actions support tagging; IAM policies are not account-wide.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse AWS Config's ability to detect non-compliance with the ability to automatically remediate (e.g., apply tags), or assume that Cost Explorer can enforce tagging, when in fact it only reports on existing tags.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs in AWS Organizations are account permission boundaries that can deny actions based on conditions, such as the absence of a specific tag key (using `aws:RequestTag`). AWS Config evaluates resources against rules like `required-tags` and can generate a compliance snapshot, but remediation (e.g., auto-tagging) requires a separate AWS Systems Manager Automation document or a custom Lambda function. In practice, combining SCPs with Config rules ensures both preventive and detective controls, which is a common pattern for cost allocation governance in multi-account environments.
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.
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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 resource creation without the 'department' tag, and use AWS Config rules to detect untagged resources. — Option A is correct because it combines two complementary AWS services to solve both requirements. A service control policy (SCP) can deny the creation of any resource that does not include the required 'department' tag, enforcing tagging at the organization level across all accounts. AWS Config rules can then be used to detect existing untagged resources by evaluating resources against a desired tagging configuration, providing visibility into non-compliant resources without automatically modifying them.
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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