The answer is that the EC2 instance launch will be denied because the SCP explicitly blocks actions in any region not listed. This occurs because the SCP uses a Deny effect for all EC2 actions on any region outside of us-east-1 and eu-west-1, and since ap-southeast-1 is not in that allowed list, the deny overrides the default implicit allow. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how SCP region restrictions interact with service control policies at the root OU level—a common trap is assuming that an explicit allow elsewhere can override a deny, but SCPs act as a boundary that applies to all IAM principals in the account. Remember the key principle: an explicit Deny always wins over any Allow, so when an SCP denies a region, no amount of IAM permissions can bypass it. Memory tip: “Deny denies all, even if Allow calls.”
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 attaches the above SCP to the root organizational unit. The development team in a member account wants to launch an EC2 instance in the ap-southeast-1 region. What will happen?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The EC2 instance launch will be denied because the SCP denies actions in regions not listed.
Option B is correct. The SCP denies EC2 actions in all regions except us-east-1 and eu-west-1. Since ap-southeast-1 is not in the allowed list, the action will be denied. Option A is wrong because the SCP explicitly denies. Option C is wrong because SCPs apply to all IAM principals. Option D is wrong because there is no explicit allow; the default is allow but this deny overrides.
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.
✗
The EC2 instance launch will be denied only if there is an explicit allow for us-east-1 and eu-west-1.
Why it's wrong here
Deny always overrides allow.
✗
The EC2 instance launch will succeed because SCPs only restrict permissions, not deny.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs can deny.
✓
The EC2 instance launch will be denied because the SCP denies actions in regions not listed.
Why this is correct
The SCP explicitly denies ec2:* in disallowed regions.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The EC2 instance launch will succeed if the developer has IAM permissions to launch in ap-southeast-1.
Why it's wrong here
SCP overrides IAM permissions.
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: The EC2 instance launch will be denied because the SCP denies actions in regions not listed. — Option B is correct. The SCP denies EC2 actions in all regions except us-east-1 and eu-west-1. Since ap-southeast-1 is not in the allowed list, the action will be denied. Option A is wrong because the SCP explicitly denies. Option C is wrong because SCPs apply to all IAM principals. Option D is wrong because there is no explicit allow; the default is allow but this deny overrides.
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.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to centralize access control for multiple AWS accounts using AWS Organizations. They need to allow developers in a specific account to launch EC2 instances only in certain regions. What is the most scalable solution?
medium
A.Create an IAM role in each account with a policy to deny non-compliant regions.
B.Use AWS Config rules to detect and terminate instances in non-compliant regions.
✓ C.Use an SCP attached to the organizational unit to deny EC2 actions in non-compliant regions.
D.Create an IAM policy in each account to deny non-compliant regions.
Why C: Option B is correct because SCPs allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in an organization, enabling region restrictions at the organizational level. Option A is wrong because IAM policies in individual accounts are harder to manage across many accounts. Option C is wrong because AWS Config does not enforce policies, it only checks compliance. Option D is wrong because Service Control Policies (SCPs) are the correct mechanism for this, not IAM roles.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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.
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