This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of accelerate workload migration and modernization. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: s3 ListBucket. 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 is migrating an application that uses an S3 bucket to store user uploads. The IAM policy above is attached to the application's IAM role. The application is experiencing permission errors when trying to list objects in the bucket. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The policy allows ListBucket but the application is trying to list objects in a prefix that requires additional permissions.
Correct. The policy allows ListBucket, but if a condition restricts listing to a specific prefix, the application's attempt to list a different prefix will fail with a permission error.
B
The resource ARN for the s3:ListBucket action is incorrect. It should be arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*.
Why wrong: The resource ARN for ListBucket is correct (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket). Using bucket/* would be incorrect.
C
The policy is missing the s3:GetObject action on the bucket itself.
Why wrong: Incorrect. s3:GetObject is an object-level permission and cannot be attached to the bucket ARN. Listing objects only requires s3:ListBucket on the bucket; reading object metadata requires s3:GetObject on the object resources (bucket/*). Therefore, the policy is not missing s3:GetObject on the bucket itself.
D
The policy needs a condition to restrict access to specific IP addresses.
Why wrong: IP address conditions are not related to the permission error described.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy allows ListBucket but the application is trying to list objects in a prefix that requires additional permissions.
The correct answer is A. The policy grants s3:ListBucket on the bucket resource, but it may include a condition that restricts listing to a specific prefix (e.g., s3:prefix). If the application is trying to list objects in a different prefix, the request fails with a permission error. Listing objects requires the s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket, and if the policy has a prefix condition, the application must use the allowed prefix. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the application is attempting to list objects in a prefix that is not permitted by the policy's conditions.
Key principle: S3 ListBucket
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The policy allows ListBucket but the application is trying to list objects in a prefix that requires additional permissions.
Why this is correct
Correct. The policy allows ListBucket, but if a condition restricts listing to a specific prefix, the application's attempt to list a different prefix will fail with a permission error.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
S3 ListBucket
✗
The resource ARN for the s3:ListBucket action is incorrect. It should be arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*.
Why it's wrong here
The resource ARN for ListBucket is correct (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket). Using bucket/* would be incorrect.
✗
The policy is missing the s3:GetObject action on the bucket itself.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. s3:GetObject is an object-level permission and cannot be attached to the bucket ARN. Listing objects only requires s3:ListBucket on the bucket; reading object metadata requires s3:GetObject on the object resources (bucket/*). Therefore, the policy is not missing s3:GetObject on the bucket itself.
✗
The policy needs a condition to restrict access to specific IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
IP address conditions are not related to the permission error described.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often think that listing objects requires s3:GetObject on the bucket, but in reality, s3:GetObject is an object-level permission. However, a common trap is that the ListBucket permission may be restricted by prefix conditions, and attempting to list a different prefix causes permission errors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
S3 ListBucket
IAM Conditions
S3 GetObject
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
S3 ListBucket
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
Storage Class
Min Duration
Retrieval
Use Case
S3 Standard
None
Immediate
Frequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA
30 days
Immediate
Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA
30 days
Immediate
Non-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
None
Immediate–hours
Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant
90 days
Milliseconds
Archive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible
90 days
Minutes–hours
Archive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
180 days
Hours
Long-term compliance archive
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review s3 ListBucket, then practise related SAP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — This question tests Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization — S3 ListBucket.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The policy allows ListBucket but the application is trying to list objects in a prefix that requires additional permissions. — The correct answer is A. The policy grants s3:ListBucket on the bucket resource, but it may include a condition that restricts listing to a specific prefix (e.g., s3:prefix). If the application is trying to list objects in a different prefix, the request fails with a permission error. Listing objects requires the s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket, and if the policy has a prefix condition, the application must use the allowed prefix. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the application is attempting to list objects in a prefix that is not permitted by the policy's conditions.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review s3 ListBucket, then practise related SAP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
S3 ListBucket
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