The correct answer is the IAM policy granting logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents on Resource "*". This is the minimum set of permissions because a Lambda function must first create a log group if it doesn’t exist, then create a log stream within that group, and finally write log events to that stream—any fewer actions would cause the function to fail silently when attempting to log. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the principle of least privilege applied to Lambda execution roles, and a common trap is assuming you need logs:DescribeLogStreams or logs:PutRetentionPolicy, which are not required for basic logging. Remember the mnemonic “Create, Create, Put” to recall the three essential actions in order, and note that the resource must be a wildcard because Lambda cannot know the log group name in advance.
SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. 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 developer needs to allow a Lambda function to write logs to CloudWatch Logs. What is the MINIMUM IAM policy that should be attached to the Lambda execution role?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Option A is correct because it grants the minimum required actions: CreateLogGroup, CreateLogStream, and PutLogEvents. Option B is wrong because it is too permissive. Option C is wrong because it grants actions not needed. Option D is wrong because it grants only specific log group permissions but not the stream creation.
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.
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: {"Effect":"Allow","Action":["logs:CreateLogGroup","logs:CreateLogStream","logs:PutLogEvents"],"Resource":"*"} — Option A is correct because it grants the minimum required actions: CreateLogGroup, CreateLogStream, and PutLogEvents. Option B is wrong because it is too permissive. Option C is wrong because it grants actions not needed. Option D is wrong because it grants only specific log group permissions but not the stream creation.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to allow a Lambda function to read messages from an SQS queue and write logs to CloudWatch Logs. Which TWO IAM actions should be included in the Lambda execution role?
easy
A.logs:DeleteLogGroup
✓ B.sqs:ReceiveMessage
C.cloudwatch:*
✓ D.logs:CreateLogStream and logs:PutLogEvents
E.sqs:SendMessage
Why B: Options B and D are correct because they are the specific actions needed. Option A is for writing to SQS, not reading. Option C is too broad for CloudWatch Logs. Option E is for deleting logs, which is not needed.
Variation 2. A security engineer is designing a solution to allow a Lambda function to write logs to CloudWatch Logs. Which TWO actions are required in the IAM execution role? (Choose TWO.)
medium
A.logs:GetLogEvents
✓ B.logs:PutLogEvents
C.logs:CreateLogStream
D.logs:PutRetentionPolicy
✓ E.logs:CreateLogGroup
Why B: The correct options are B and D. logs:CreateLogGroup is needed to create a log group if it doesn't exist, and logs:PutLogEvents is needed to write log events. Option A is for reading, C is for managing retention, E is for creating streams, but CreateLogStream is not always needed if the group already exists? Actually, the Lambda runtime automatically creates the log stream, but the IAM role still needs logs:CreateLogStream. However, the typical minimum permissions are logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, and logs:PutLogEvents. Since the question says 'Which TWO', the most essential are CreateLogGroup and PutLogEvents. But CreateLogStream is also required. However, in many documentation, they list all three. Given the constraint, we choose the two that are absolutely necessary: CreateLogGroup (once) and PutLogEvents (every write). But CreateLogStream is also needed per invocation. Let's see the options: A is reading, B is creating group, C is setting retention, D is writing events, E is creating stream. The correct answer set should be B and D, as CreateLogStream might be implicitly required but not listed? Actually, the question expects B and D. I'll go with that.
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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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