- A
Create IAM users for each mobile user and distribute access keys.
Why wrong: Not scalable or secure.
- B
Use AWS Security Token Service (STS) directly from the mobile app.
Why wrong: Mobile app cannot call STS without AWS credentials.
- C
Create an IAM role and have the mobile app assume it directly.
Why wrong: Mobile apps cannot assume roles without AWS credentials.
- D
Use Amazon Cognito with an identity pool to issue temporary credentials.
Cognito Identity Pools are designed for this purpose.
Question 716 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 needs to provide temporary, limited-privilege credentials to mobile app users to access AWS resources. Which AWS service should the architect recommend?
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 Amazon Cognito with an identity pool to issue temporary credentials.
Amazon Cognito identity pools are designed to provide temporary, limited-privilege AWS credentials to mobile app users. The service authenticates users through a public identity provider (e.g., Amazon, Facebook, Google, or a custom OIDC provider) and then exchanges the resulting identity token for temporary AWS credentials via the AWS Security Token Service (STS). This approach avoids embedding long-term credentials in the mobile app and enforces least-privilege access through IAM roles associated with the identity pool.
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 IAM users for each mobile user and distribute access keys.
Why it's wrong here
Not scalable or secure.
- ✗
Use AWS Security Token Service (STS) directly from the mobile app.
Why it's wrong here
Mobile app cannot call STS without AWS credentials.
- ✗
Create an IAM role and have the mobile app assume it directly.
Why it's wrong here
Mobile apps cannot assume roles without AWS credentials.
- ✓
Use Amazon Cognito with an identity pool to issue temporary credentials.
Why this is correct
Cognito Identity Pools are designed for this purpose.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the ability to call STS directly with the need for pre-existing credentials; STS cannot issue temporary credentials without first authenticating the caller, so a mobile app without embedded credentials must use a service like Cognito to broker the token exchange.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Amazon Cognito identity pools use an unauthenticated or authenticated role that is assumed after successful authentication. The service calls STS AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity (or the newer AssumeRoleWithOIDC) to exchange the identity token from the user pool or external IdP for a temporary credential set with a configurable expiration (default 1 hour, max 12 hours). A subtle behavior is that the identity pool can also support unauthenticated (guest) access by issuing credentials for a limited role, which is useful for onboarding flows before user login.
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.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Amazon Cognito with an identity pool to issue temporary credentials. — Amazon Cognito identity pools are designed to provide temporary, limited-privilege AWS credentials to mobile app users. The service authenticates users through a public identity provider (e.g., Amazon, Facebook, Google, or a custom OIDC provider) and then exchanges the resulting identity token for temporary AWS credentials via the AWS Security Token Service (STS). This approach avoids embedding long-term credentials in the mobile app and enforces least-privilege access through IAM roles associated with the identity pool.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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