- A
Store AWS access keys in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime.
Why wrong: This still requires credentials to access the secret.
- B
Create an IAM role with permissions to access the S3 bucket.
The task role will assume this role to get temporary credentials.
- C
Attach the IAM role to the ECS task definition as the task role.
The taskRoleArn in the task definition enables the container to assume the role.
- D
Enable the ECS task execution role to pass the task role to the container.
The execution role grants ECS permission to pass the task role.
- E
Configure the application to use the AWS CLI with environment variables for credentials.
Why wrong: Environment variables are long-term credentials, violating the requirement.
Question 1,535 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 is designing a new application that will run on Amazon ECS with Fargate. The application needs to store files in Amazon S3. The company has a strict security requirement that the application must not have any long-term credentials stored in the container image or environment variables. Which THREE steps should the company take to meet this requirement? (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
✓
Create an IAM role with permissions to access the S3 bucket.
Option B is correct because the application must not have long-term credentials stored in the container image or environment variables. By creating an IAM role with permissions to access the S3 bucket and attaching it as the ECS task role (Option C), the application can obtain temporary credentials from the ECS task metadata endpoint. This eliminates the need to store any static access keys. Option D is also correct because the ECS task execution role must have the `iam:PassRole` permission to allow the task role to be associated with the container, enabling the credential retrieval mechanism.
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.
- ✗
Store AWS access keys in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime.
Why it's wrong here
This still requires credentials to access the secret.
- ✓
Create an IAM role with permissions to access the S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
The task role will assume this role to get temporary credentials.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Attach the IAM role to the ECS task definition as the task role.
Why this is correct
The taskRoleArn in the task definition enables the container to assume the role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable the ECS task execution role to pass the task role to the container.
Why this is correct
The execution role grants ECS permission to pass the task role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure the application to use the AWS CLI with environment variables for credentials.
Why it's wrong here
Environment variables are long-term credentials, violating the requirement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think storing credentials in AWS Secrets Manager (Option A) is acceptable because it removes them from the image, but the requirement explicitly prohibits any long-term credentials from being present in the container at runtime, which Secrets Manager retrieval still introduces.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, when an ECS task is launched with a task role, the Amazon ECS container agent injects temporary AWS credentials via the AWS_CONTAINER_CREDENTIALS_RELATIVE_URI environment variable. The AWS SDKs and CLI automatically use this endpoint to retrieve and refresh credentials, which are valid for up to 6 hours and are rotated automatically. This mechanism relies on the IAM roles for tasks feature, which uses the AWS Security Token Service (STS) to issue temporary credentials without any long-term secrets being stored in the container.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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 for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM role with permissions to access the S3 bucket. — Option B is correct because the application must not have long-term credentials stored in the container image or environment variables. By creating an IAM role with permissions to access the S3 bucket and attaching it as the ECS task role (Option C), the application can obtain temporary credentials from the ECS task metadata endpoint. This eliminates the need to store any static access keys. Option D is also correct because the ECS task execution role must have the `iam:PassRole` permission to allow the task role to be associated with the container, enabling the credential retrieval mechanism.
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
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