- A
Use service control policies (SCPs) to deny role creation unless the trust policy meets conditions
SCPs can deny IAM role creation if the trust policy includes a principal that is not part of the organization, effectively requiring approval.
- B
Use IAM policies to restrict who can create roles
Why wrong: IAM policies can restrict actions but cannot evaluate the content of the trust policy during creation.
- C
Use AWS Lambda to automatically delete non-compliant roles
Why wrong: Deleting after creation is reactive and may cause disruption.
- D
Use AWS Config rules to detect and alert on risky trust policies
Why wrong: Detecting after creation is not preventing.
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 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
Use service control policies (SCPs) to deny role creation unless the trust policy meets conditions
Option A is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) can be applied at the organizational unit (OU) or account level to deny the creation of roles with trust policies that allow access from another AWS account unless the trust policy meets specific conditions (e.g., requiring approval or restricting to accounts within the organization). Option B is wrong because IAM policies are account-level and cannot prevent role creation across accounts; they can only control who within an account can create roles, not the content of the trust policy. Option C is wrong because AWS Lambda can automatically delete non-compliant roles after creation, but it cannot prevent the initial creation, which is the requirement. Option D is wrong because AWS Config rules can detect and alert on risky trust policies, but they cannot deny or prevent role creation; they are detective, not preventive.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
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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 — 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 A is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) can be applied at the organizational unit (OU) or account level to deny the creation of roles with trust policies that allow access from another AWS account unless the trust policy meets specific conditions (e.g., requiring approval or restricting to accounts within the organization). Option B is wrong because IAM policies are account-level and cannot prevent role creation across accounts; they can only control who within an account can create roles, not the content of the trust policy. Option C is wrong because AWS Lambda can automatically delete non-compliant roles after creation, but it cannot prevent the initial creation, which is the requirement. Option D is wrong because AWS Config rules can detect and alert on risky trust policies, but they cannot deny or prevent role creation; they are detective, not preventive.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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