The correct answer includes s3:GetObject, not s3:PutObject, because a least-privilege IAM policy for an EC2 instance that needs to read from S3 and write to CloudWatch Logs must grant only the exact actions required—reading objects from the bucket and sending log events to CloudWatch. The principle of least privilege demands that you avoid overly broad permissions like s3:PutObject, which would allow writing, when the requirement is strictly read-only access. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to map business requirements to precise IAM actions, often hiding traps where a similar-sounding action (like PutObject vs. GetObject) is swapped to catch over-permissioning. A common memory tip is to think “Get to read, Put to write—never grant Put when you only need Get.” For the CloudWatch Logs portion, the correct action is logs:PutLogEvents, and the resource should target the specific log group and stream. Remember the mnemonic “G-P-L” for GetObject, PutLogEvents, and Least privilege.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing 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 deploying a new application on AWS and wants to implement a least-privilege IAM policy for an EC2 instance that needs to read from an S3 bucket (my-bucket) and write logs to CloudWatch Logs. Which THREE statements should be included in the IAM policy? (Choose three.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Option A is correct because the EC2 instance only needs to read objects from the S3 bucket, so the least-privilege action is s3:GetObject. The resource ARN 'arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*' correctly targets all objects within the bucket, which is required for reading objects. This adheres to the principle of granting only the necessary permissions.
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.
Grants write access to the bucket (if needed by the application).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
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 include overly broad actions (like s3:* or logs:* on wildcard resources) instead of scoping to the specific actions and resources needed, failing the least-privilege requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
For CloudWatch Logs, the PutLogEvents API requires that the log stream already exists; thus, the policy must include logs:CreateLogStream to create the stream if it does not exist, or the instance must have permissions to create it. The resource ARN for logs should specify the log group and a wildcard for streams (e.g., 'arn:aws:logs:region:account:log-group:my-log-group:*') to restrict access to that specific log group. Additionally, S3 GetObject requests use the HTTP GET method, and the bucket policy must also allow the s3:GetObject action for the IAM role to succeed.
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.
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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: {"Effect": "Allow", "Action": ["s3:GetObject"], "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"} — Option A is correct because the EC2 instance only needs to read objects from the S3 bucket, so the least-privilege action is s3:GetObject. The resource ARN 'arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*' correctly targets all objects within the bucket, which is required for reading objects. This adheres to the principle of granting only the necessary permissions.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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