The correct approach is to use service control policies (SCPs) to deny cross-account role creation without approval. SCPs operate at the AWS Organizations level, allowing you to block the creation of IAM roles whose trust policies specify a principal from outside the organization, unless a specific condition—such as a required tag or approval flag—is met. This is effective because SCPs act as a preventive guardrail, denying the action before it happens, unlike detective tools such as AWS Config or reactive approaches like Lambda-based revocation. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of governance at scale, where SCPs are the only native service that can enforce a deny on resource creation across all accounts in an organization. A common trap is confusing IAM policies (which can’t prevent role creation) with SCPs, or assuming AWS Config’s detection is sufficient. Memory tip: SCPs are the “bouncer” at the organization door—they deny entry before the party starts.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 a multi-account AWS environment with a centralized security account. The security team wants to ensure that any IAM role created in any account with a trust policy allowing access from another AWS account must be approved by the security team. Which approach should be used?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use service control policies (SCPs) to deny role creation unless the trust policy meets conditions
Option D is correct because SCPs can deny creation of roles with trust policies that include a specific condition (like a principal that is not within the organization) unless approved. Option A is wrong because IAM policies cannot prevent role creation. Option B is wrong because AWS Config can detect but not deny. Option C is wrong because Lambda can revoke but not prevent.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 service control policies (SCPs) to deny role creation unless the trust policy meets conditions
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny IAM role creation if the trust policy includes a principal that is not part of the organization, effectively requiring approval.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Use IAM policies to restrict who can create roles
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies can restrict actions but cannot evaluate the content of the trust policy during creation.
✗
Use AWS Lambda to automatically delete non-compliant roles
Why it's wrong here
Deleting after creation is reactive and may cause disruption.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect and alert on risky trust policies
Why it's wrong here
Detecting after creation is not preventing.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use service control policies (SCPs) to deny role creation unless the trust policy meets conditions — Option D is correct because SCPs can deny creation of roles with trust policies that include a specific condition (like a principal that is not within the organization) unless approved. Option A is wrong because IAM policies cannot prevent role creation. Option B is wrong because AWS Config can detect but not deny. Option C is wrong because Lambda can revoke but not prevent.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Question Discussion
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