- A
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies launching non-approved instance types.
Why wrong: IAM policies are not centralized.
- B
Use AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant instances and trigger an AWS Lambda function to terminate them.
Why wrong: Config is detective, not preventive.
- C
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances for all users and then attach it to the root OU.
Why wrong: SCP applies to all principals in the account, not just users.
- D
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit.
SCPs apply to all accounts in the OU.
Question 684 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
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 a multi-account strategy. The security team wants to restrict the use of specific instance types across all accounts. What is the MOST effective way to enforce this policy?
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 a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit.
Option D is correct because a Service Control Policy (SCP) attached to the root organizational unit (OU) can centrally deny the ec2:RunInstances action for non-approved instance types across all member accounts without requiring per-account configuration. SCPs act as a permission guardrail that applies to all IAM users, roles, and root users in the affected accounts, making them the most effective mechanism for enforcing organization-wide restrictions on instance types.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies launching non-approved instance types.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are not centralized.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant instances and trigger an AWS Lambda function to terminate them.
Why it's wrong here
Config is detective, not preventive.
- ✗
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances for all users and then attach it to the root OU.
Why it's wrong here
SCP applies to all principals in the account, not just users.
- ✓
Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit.
Why this is correct
SCPs apply to all accounts in the OU.
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 confusing SCPs with IAM policies or detective controls; candidates often pick Option B (AWS Config) because it seems automated, but SCPs are the only preventive, centrally managed mechanism that blocks the action before it occurs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy language with conditions such as `ec2:InstanceType` to allow or deny specific instance families. Under the hood, SCPs are evaluated before IAM policies; an explicit deny in an SCP overrides any allow in IAM, ensuring that even a full-admin user in a member account cannot launch a denied instance type. In a real-world scenario, an organization might use an SCP with a condition like `"Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"ec2:InstanceType": ["t3.micro","t3.small"]}}` to restrict to cost-optimized types across hundreds of accounts.
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.
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Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — study guide chapter
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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: Create a Service Control Policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances if the instance type is not allowed, and attach it to the root organizational unit. — Option D is correct because a Service Control Policy (SCP) attached to the root organizational unit (OU) can centrally deny the ec2:RunInstances action for non-approved instance types across all member accounts without requiring per-account configuration. SCPs act as a permission guardrail that applies to all IAM users, roles, and root users in the affected accounts, making them the most effective mechanism for enforcing organization-wide restrictions on instance types.
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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