This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. 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 wants to restrict access to an S3 bucket so that only requests from a specific VPC endpoint are allowed. Which S3 bucket policy condition key should be used?
aws:VpcSourceIp
Why wrong: Not a valid condition key.
aws:SourceVpc
Why wrong: Used to restrict to a VPC, not a specific endpoint.
aws:SourceVpce
Restricts access to a specific VPC endpoint.
aws:SourceIp
Why wrong: Used to restrict by client IP address.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
aws:SourceVpce
To restrict access to an S3 bucket so that only requests originating from a specific VPC endpoint are allowed, you must use the `aws:SourceVpce` condition key in the S3 bucket policy. This key evaluates the VPC endpoint ID (e.g., `vpce-1a2b3c4d`) of the request, ensuring that only traffic routed through that specific endpoint is granted access. The `aws:SourceVpc` key is used to restrict access based on the VPC ID, not the endpoint ID, and `aws:SourceIp` and `aws:VpcSourceIp` are not valid condition keys for VPC endpoint-based restrictions.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
aws:VpcSourceIp
Why it's wrong here
Not a valid condition key.
aws:SourceVpc
Why it's wrong here
Used to restrict to a VPC, not a specific endpoint.
aws:SourceVpce
Why this is correct
Restricts access to a specific VPC endpoint.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
aws:SourceIp
Why it's wrong here
Used to restrict by client IP address.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `aws:SourceVpc` (which restricts by VPC ID) with `aws:SourceVpce` (which restricts by VPC endpoint ID), leading them to select the wrong condition key when the requirement is specifically to allow only traffic from a particular VPC endpoint.
Detailed technical explanation
The `aws:SourceVpce` condition key works by matching the VPC endpoint ID present in the `aws:SourceVpce` context key of the request, which is automatically included when traffic traverses a VPC endpoint (Gateway or Interface type). For S3, Gateway endpoints are commonly used, and the condition key ensures that only requests with a specific endpoint ID (e.g., `vpce-xxxx`) are allowed, even if the source IP is from the same VPC. A subtle behavior is that this condition key is only effective when the request comes through the endpoint; direct requests from an EC2 instance in the same VPC without going through the endpoint will be denied if the policy uses `aws:SourceVpce`.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: aws:SourceVpce — To restrict access to an S3 bucket so that only requests originating from a specific VPC endpoint are allowed, you must use the `aws:SourceVpce` condition key in the S3 bucket policy. This key evaluates the VPC endpoint ID (e.g., `vpce-1a2b3c4d`) of the request, ensuring that only traffic routed through that specific endpoint is granted access. The `aws:SourceVpc` key is used to restrict access based on the VPC ID, not the endpoint ID, and `aws:SourceIp` and `aws:VpcSourceIp` are not valid condition keys for VPC endpoint-based restrictions.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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