The answer is that the user in the production account needs an IAM policy explicitly granting the sts:AssumeRole permission for the development account role ARN. This is necessary because cross-account access requires a two-part authorization: the target role’s trust policy must allow the source account to assume it, which is already configured, and the source user must have an identity-based policy that permits the sts:AssumeRole action against that specific role. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that a trust policy alone is insufficient—the requesting user must also have explicit permission to call the AssumeRole API. A common trap is assuming the trust policy covers both sides, but it only authorizes the account, not the individual user. Remember the memory tip: “Trust opens the door, but the user needs the key”—the key being the sts:AssumeRole permission on their own policy.
SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 multiple AWS accounts and wants to allow a user in the production account to assume a role in the development account. The role in the development account has a trust policy that allows the production account to assume it. What additional configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Attach a policy to the user in the production account allowing sts:AssumeRole for the development role ARN.
Option A is correct: the user in the production account must have an IAM policy that allows sts:AssumeRole targeting the development account role ARN. Option B is wrong because the trust policy is already set. Option C is wrong because the role must be created in the development account. Option D is wrong because the trust policy should reference the production account.
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.
✓
Attach a policy to the user in the production account allowing sts:AssumeRole for the development role ARN.
Why this is correct
The user needs explicit permission to assume the role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Modify the trust policy of the role in the development account to allow the user ARN instead of the account ARN.
Why it's wrong here
The trust policy can be account-level, but the user still needs permission to assume.
✗
Set up a VPC peering connection between the accounts.
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is not related to IAM permissions.
✗
Create a new IAM user in the development account with the same name.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-account access uses roles, not duplicate users.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Attach a policy to the user in the production account allowing sts:AssumeRole for the development role ARN. — Option A is correct: the user in the production account must have an IAM policy that allows sts:AssumeRole targeting the development account role ARN. Option B is wrong because the trust policy is already set. Option C is wrong because the role must be created in the development account. Option D is wrong because the trust policy should reference the production account.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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