The answer is full S3 access to the bucket and objects for the root user of account 123456789012. This is correct because the S3 bucket policy explicitly uses a Principal element specifying the root user ARN of the external account (arn:aws:iam::123456789012:root) and an Effect of Allow with an Action of s3:* on both the bucket and its objects, granting unrestricted permissions to that account’s root user. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-account S3 bucket policies and the distinction between granting access to an entire account versus a specific IAM user or role—a common trap is assuming the policy only applies to a named user, but the root user ARN covers all IAM principals in that account. Remember the memory tip: “Root in the Principal means full account access, not a single user.”
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 has an S3 bucket policy as shown in the exhibit. The bucket 'my-bucket' is owned by account 111111111111. What access does this policy grant to account 123456789012?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Full S3 access to the bucket and objects for the root user of account 123456789012.
Option A is correct. The policy allows the root user of account 123456789012 to perform all S3 actions on the bucket and its objects. Option B is wrong because the policy does not restrict to a specific user. Option C is wrong because the root user is allowed. Option D is wrong because the policy explicitly allows all actions.
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.
✓
Full S3 access to the bucket and objects for the root user of account 123456789012.
Why this is correct
The policy grants s3:* to the root user of the specified account.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Full S3 access to the bucket and objects for all IAM users in account 123456789012.
Why it's wrong here
The principal is the root user, not all users.
✗
No access because the root user is not allowed.
Why it's wrong here
The root user is explicitly allowed.
✗
Read-only access to the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
The action is s3:*, which includes all actions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Full S3 access to the bucket and objects for the root user of account 123456789012. — Option A is correct. The policy allows the root user of account 123456789012 to perform all S3 actions on the bucket and its objects. Option B is wrong because the policy does not restrict to a specific user. Option C is wrong because the root user is allowed. Option D is wrong because the policy explicitly allows all actions.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This SAP-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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