PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "ec2:Describe*",
"Resource": "*"
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/restricted/*"
}
]
}An IAM policy is attached to a user. The user attempts to upload a file to s3://my-bucket/restricted/data.txt. What is the outcome?
⚠ Common exam trap
The PAS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that an Allow on one action (like s3:GetObject) somehow implies or grants permissions for other actions (like s3:PutObject), or that the absence of an explicit Deny means the request will succeed, ignoring the explicit Deny's overriding effect.
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
✓
The upload fails because the explicit Deny overrides the Allow.
C is correct because IAM policy evaluation follows a default-deny model where an explicit Deny always overrides any Allow. Even though the user has an Allow for s3:GetObject on all resources, the explicit Deny for the specific object path s3://my-bucket/restricted/* takes precedence, causing the upload (which requires s3:PutObject) to fail.
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 upload succeeds because there is no explicit Deny for the specific object.
Why it's wrong here
The Deny applies to the restricted/* prefix.
- ✗
The upload succeeds because the Allow statement for s3:GetObject implies PutObject.
Why it's wrong here
GetObject does not imply PutObject.
- ✓
The upload fails because the explicit Deny overrides the Allow.
Why this is correct
Explicit Deny always overrides Allow.
- ✗
The upload succeeds because the Allow for s3:GetObject is on all resources.
Why it's wrong here
GetObject does not grant PutObject.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PAS-C01 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 PAS-C01 exam.