- A
Use AWS Config rules to detect noncompliant buckets and send notifications.
Why wrong: This is detective, not preventive; buckets can still be created without encryption.
- B
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the correct KMS key is specified.
Why wrong: IAM policies are per-account and do not prevent root user actions or actions by other services.
- C
Attach a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the encryption settings include the specific KMS key.
SCPs apply to all accounts in the OU and can prevent noncompliant bucket creation, including by the root user.
- D
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a template that creates all buckets with the required encryption.
Why wrong: This does not prevent users from creating buckets outside of CloudFormation.
Quick Answer
The answer is to attach a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the encryption settings include the specific KMS key. This is correct because SCPs act as a centralized guardrail within AWS Organizations, enforcing encryption requirements across all accounts without being overridden by local IAM policies. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to enforce S3 encryption at scale using preventive controls, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose bucket policies or IAM roles, which can be bypassed by account administrators. A key memory tip is to think of SCPs as the "ultimate bouncer" at the organization level—they check every API call before it reaches the account, ensuring SSE-KMS with your specific key is non-negotiable.
PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. 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 uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to enforce that all S3 buckets in the organization are encrypted with SSE-KMS using a specific KMS key. What is the MOST effective way to enforce this policy?
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
Attach a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the encryption settings include the specific KMS key.
Service control policies (SCPs) are the most effective way to enforce encryption requirements across all accounts in an AWS Organization because they act as a centralized guardrail that cannot be overridden by account administrators. By attaching an SCP to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the request includes the specific KMS key ARN, the security team ensures that no bucket can be created or modified without the mandated encryption, regardless of IAM permissions within individual accounts.
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.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect noncompliant buckets and send notifications.
Why it's wrong here
This is detective, not preventive; buckets can still be created without encryption.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy in each account that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the correct KMS key is specified.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are per-account and do not prevent root user actions or actions by other services.
- ✓
Attach a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the encryption settings include the specific KMS key.
Why this is correct
SCPs apply to all accounts in the OU and can prevent noncompliant bucket creation, including by the root user.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a template that creates all buckets with the required encryption.
Why it's wrong here
This does not prevent users from creating buckets outside of CloudFormation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose detective controls like AWS Config (Option A) or account-level IAM policies (Option B) because they are familiar with them, failing to recognize that only SCPs provide preventive, organization-wide enforcement that cannot be bypassed by account administrators.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy language with conditions like 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' to enforce specific KMS key usage. The SCP must be crafted carefully to allow the s3:PutBucketEncryption action only when the encryption settings match the required key, while denying all other cases; a common mistake is forgetting to also deny s3:CreateBucket with encryption parameters, as bucket creation can set encryption at the same time. In real-world scenarios, organizations often combine SCPs with AWS Config remediation rules to automatically fix noncompliant buckets that were created before the SCP was applied.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
Technology — This question tests Technology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Attach a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the encryption settings include the specific KMS key. — Service control policies (SCPs) are the most effective way to enforce encryption requirements across all accounts in an AWS Organization because they act as a centralized guardrail that cannot be overridden by account administrators. By attaching an SCP to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless the request includes the specific KMS key ARN, the security team ensures that no bucket can be created or modified without the mandated encryption, regardless of IAM permissions within individual accounts.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 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: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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