The answer is to attach an SCP that denies the restricted EC2 instance types to the OU. This is correct because service control policies (SCPs) act as a permission guardrail for all accounts within an AWS Organization, but they explicitly do not apply to the management account, which is exempt from SCP restrictions by design. By targeting the SCP at the OU level, you restrict EC2 instance types across all member accounts while leaving the management account fully unconstrained. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SCP inheritance and the critical distinction that management accounts are never subject to SCPs—a common trap where candidates mistakenly attach the policy to the root or to the management account itself. Remember the key memory tip: SCPs are like a fence around the OU; the management account stands outside the fence.
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 member accounts. The company wants to restrict the use of specific Amazon EC2 instance types across all member accounts. However, the management account should not be restricted. Which solution meets this requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Attach an SCP that denies the restricted instance types to the OU.
Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in an OU. By attaching an SCP that denies specific EC2 instance types to the OU, you restrict all member accounts while the management account is not affected by SCPs. This meets the requirement without impacting the management account.
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.
✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor and alert when restricted instance types are launched.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail is detective, not preventive.
✓
Attach an SCP that denies the restricted instance types to the OU.
Why this is correct
SCPs attached to the OU apply to all member accounts but not to the management account.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create an IAM policy in the management account that denies the restricted instance types, and attach it to all member account users.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies in the management account do not affect users in member accounts.
✗
Attach an SCP to the root of the organization and exclude the management account.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs attached to the root apply to all accounts including management; you cannot exclude an account.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think SCPs apply to all accounts including the management account, but in reality, the management account is never affected by SCPs, so attaching an SCP to the OU correctly restricts only member accounts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs are evaluated as an allow list by default, but you can use explicit Deny statements to block specific actions or resources. SCPs do not grant permissions; they define the maximum permissions boundary for IAM roles and users in member accounts. The management account is immune to SCPs because it is the organization's root account and is designed to have full administrative control, which is why attaching the SCP to the OU is the correct approach.
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: Attach an SCP that denies the restricted instance types to the OU. — Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in an OU. By attaching an SCP that denies specific EC2 instance types to the OU, you restrict all member accounts while the management account is not affected by SCPs. This meets the requirement without impacting the management account.
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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