The answer is no, because the source identity does not match the required value in the trust policy. This failure occurs because the `sts:SourceIdentity` condition key in the AuditRole trust policy enforces an exact match—when the session is launched with source identity 'admin' but the policy demands 'auditor', the condition is not satisfied, and AWS STS denies the AssumeRole API call regardless of the principal being allowed. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how cross-account IAM role assumption denied due to source identity condition can override principal-level permissions; a common trap is assuming that allowing the principal alone guarantees access, but the source identity condition acts as a separate gatekeeper evaluated at request time. Remember the mnemonic: "Source must match, or the role won't catch"—the source identity must exactly equal the policy’s specified value for the assumption to succeed.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A trust policy is attached to an IAM role named AuditRole in account 111111111111. The IAM role Admin in account 222222222222 attempts to assume AuditRole. The session is launched with source identity 'admin'. Will the assumption succeed?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
No, because the source identity does not match.
The assumption fails because the trust policy on AuditRole includes a `sts:SourceIdentity` condition that requires the source identity to match a specific value (e.g., 'auditor'), but the session is launched with source identity 'admin'. Since the condition is not satisfied, AWS STS denies the AssumeRole API call, even though the principal (the Admin role in account 222222222222) is allowed by the `Principal` element. The `sts:SourceIdentity` condition key is evaluated at request time and must match exactly for the policy to grant access.
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.
✓
No, because the source identity does not match.
Why this is correct
The condition requires source identity 'central-admin', but it is 'admin'.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Yes, because the role in account 222222222222 is allowed by the principal.
Why it's wrong here
The principal is allowed, but the condition fails.
✗
No, because cross-account role assumption is not allowed.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-account assumption is allowed if permissions permit.
✗
Yes, because the source identity condition is optional.
Why it's wrong here
The condition is mandatory and must be satisfied.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a trust policy only needs a matching principal and action to succeed, overlooking that condition keys like `sts:SourceIdentity` can independently deny the request even when the principal is valid.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `sts:SourceIdentity` condition key is used to enforce that the assumed role session carries a specific source identity, which is set by the calling entity via the `SourceIdentity` parameter in the AssumeRole API call. This is distinct from `sts:RoleSessionName` and is often used for audit trails to track the original user across role chains. If the condition is present in the trust policy, AWS STS evaluates it as a mandatory constraint; if the provided source identity does not match, the request is denied with an 'AccessDenied' error, even if all other policy elements are satisfied.
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 — 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: No, because the source identity does not match. — The assumption fails because the trust policy on AuditRole includes a `sts:SourceIdentity` condition that requires the source identity to match a specific value (e.g., 'auditor'), but the session is launched with source identity 'admin'. Since the condition is not satisfied, AWS STS denies the AssumeRole API call, even though the principal (the Admin role in account 222222222222) is allowed by the `Principal` element. The `sts:SourceIdentity` condition key is evaluated at request time and must match exactly for the policy to grant access.
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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Question Discussion
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