The answer is to apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies the organizations:LeaveOrganization action. This works because SCPs act as a centralized permission guardrail across all accounts in an AWS Organization, overriding any permissive IAM policies at the account level. By explicitly denying the LeaveOrganization API call, no account—including the management account—can unilaterally remove itself without the SCP being detached first. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of SCPs as a preventive control mechanism, often appearing in scenarios about governance and security boundaries. A common trap is confusing SCPs with IAM policies or CloudTrail logging: IAM is account-specific and cannot block actions from the root user, while CloudTrail only records events without preventing them. Remember the mnemonic "SCP Stops Departures"—SCPs are the only tool that can centrally block an account from leaving the organization.
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 uses AWS Organizations with a single OU for all accounts. The security team wants to prevent any account from leaving the organization without approval. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply an SCP that denies the organizations:LeaveOrganization action.
An SCP with a Deny effect on organizations:LeaveOrganization prevents any account from leaving. Option B is wrong because IAM is account-specific. Option C is wrong because CloudTrail only logs. Option D is wrong because it doesn't prevent.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure IAM policies on the root user of each account to deny leave actions.
Why it's wrong here
Root user has full access; IAM policies don't apply to root.
✗
Create an AWS Config rule to detect leave attempts.
Why it's wrong here
Config is detective, not preventive.
✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to monitor leave events and send alerts.
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring does not prevent.
✓
Apply an SCP that denies the organizations:LeaveOrganization action.
Why this is correct
SCP can deny the action across all accounts.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply an SCP that denies the organizations:LeaveOrganization action. — An SCP with a Deny effect on organizations:LeaveOrganization prevents any account from leaving. Option B is wrong because IAM is account-specific. Option C is wrong because CloudTrail only logs. Option D is wrong because it doesn't prevent.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Question Discussion
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