- A
Create a Route 53 Resolver rule in the central account to forward queries to the private hosted zone.
Why wrong: Resolver rules are for outbound queries, not for authorization.
- B
Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone.
IAM permissions control who can perform the association.
- C
Associate each VPC with the private hosted zone using the authorize zone association API.
Authorization is required to associate VPCs from other accounts.
- D
Use AWS RAM to share the private hosted zone with the other accounts.
RAM is used to share the hosted zone so that accounts can associate their VPCs.
- E
Create a VPC peering connection between the central account and each VPC.
Why wrong: VPC peering is not needed for Route 53 private hosted zones.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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 a central IT account that manages DNS using Amazon Route 53 Private Hosted Zones. Multiple VPCs from different accounts are associated with the same private hosted zone. The company wants to ensure that only authorized VPCs can resolve records in the zone. Which three steps should be taken? (Choose THREE.)
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
Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone.
Option B is correct because restricting IAM permissions ensures that only authorized users can associate VPCs with the private hosted zone, preventing unauthorized VPCs from resolving records. This is a fundamental security control for managing cross-account DNS resolution in Route 53.
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.
- ✗
Create a Route 53 Resolver rule in the central account to forward queries to the private hosted zone.
Why it's wrong here
Resolver rules are for outbound queries, not for authorization.
- ✓
Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone.
Why this is correct
IAM permissions control who can perform the association.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Associate each VPC with the private hosted zone using the authorize zone association API.
Why this is correct
Authorization is required to associate VPCs from other accounts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use AWS RAM to share the private hosted zone with the other accounts.
Why this is correct
RAM is used to share the hosted zone so that accounts can associate their VPCs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a VPC peering connection between the central account and each VPC.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is not needed for Route 53 private hosted zones.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse VPC peering with DNS resolution; peering provides network connectivity but does not automatically grant DNS resolution from a private hosted zone, which requires explicit association or sharing via AWS RAM.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a private hosted zone is shared via AWS RAM, the association is automatically authorized, and the VPC can resolve records without needing explicit authorization via the API. The `AuthorizeVpcAssociation` API is used when you want to allow a VPC from another account to associate with the zone without using RAM, but it requires the zone owner to call the API first, then the VPC owner to call `AssociateVPC`. This two-step process ensures cross-account authorization is explicit and auditable.
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.
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
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 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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Common DNS Record Types
| Record | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address mapping | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | IPv6 address mapping | example.com → 2606:2800::1 |
| CNAME | Alias to another hostname | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail server for domain | example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10) |
| TXT | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all |
| NS | Authoritative name servers | example.com NS ns1.example.com |
| PTR | Reverse DNS (IP → hostname) | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com |
| SOA | Zone authority record | Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAP-C02 questions
1,746 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity.
Design for New Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design for New Solutions.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Restrict IAM permissions to only allow authorized users to associate VPCs with the hosted zone. — Option B is correct because restricting IAM permissions ensures that only authorized users can associate VPCs with the private hosted zone, preventing unauthorized VPCs from resolving records. This is a fundamental security control for managing cross-account DNS resolution in Route 53.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SAP-C02 practice questions
- A company wants to automate the migration of on-premises servers to AWS. The migration plan includes discovery, assessme…
- A company is using AWS Organizations with hundreds of accounts. The central IT team needs to deploy a common set of AWS…
- A multinational company operates a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. The security team needs to enf…
- A company has a multi-account AWS environment with a centralized logging account. The security team needs to analyze VPC…
- A company has multiple AWS accounts and wants to centralize logging of all API calls. Which TWO services should be used…
- Match each AWS compute service to its use case.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.