- A
Create an IAM policy that denies EC2 actions unless the region is us-east-1.
IAM policy directly restricts user actions.
- B
Use AWS Config to terminate instances in other Regions.
Why wrong: Reactive; instances can be launched and incur cost.
- C
Apply an SCP to the account.
Why wrong: SCPs are for Organizations, not single accounts.
- D
Configure the default VPC in us-east-1 only.
Why wrong: Does not prevent launching in other Regions via other VPCs.
Question 88 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 wants to allow developers to launch EC2 instances only in the us-east-1 Region. They have a single AWS account. What is the simplest way to enforce this?
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 an IAM policy that denies EC2 actions unless the region is us-east-1.
Option A is correct because an IAM policy with a Deny effect for ec2:RunInstances when the region is not us-east-1 directly prevents developers from launching EC2 instances in any other region. This is the simplest approach as it uses native IAM condition keys (aws:RequestedRegion) without requiring additional services or complex configurations.
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 that denies EC2 actions unless the region is us-east-1.
Why this is correct
IAM policy directly restricts user actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to terminate instances in other Regions.
Why it's wrong here
Reactive; instances can be launched and incur cost.
- ✗
Apply an SCP to the account.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs are for Organizations, not single accounts.
- ✗
Configure the default VPC in us-east-1 only.
Why it's wrong here
Does not prevent launching in other Regions via other VPCs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse SCPs with IAM policies, assuming SCPs can be applied to a standalone account, but SCPs require AWS Organizations and are not available for a single account without an organization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The IAM condition key aws:RequestedRegion evaluates the region endpoint to which the API call is made, not the resource's region. For global services like IAM, this condition can behave unexpectedly; however, for EC2 it works as intended. A common real-world scenario is using a Deny-only policy (without an Allow) to block all regions except one, which requires careful ordering of policy evaluation to avoid unintended access.
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 an IAM policy that denies EC2 actions unless the region is us-east-1. — Option A is correct because an IAM policy with a Deny effect for ec2:RunInstances when the region is not us-east-1 directly prevents developers from launching EC2 instances in any other region. This is the simplest approach as it uses native IAM condition keys (aws:RequestedRegion) without requiring additional services or complex configurations.
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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