Quick Answer
The correct answer is to create a new IAM user with the same name and attach the same policies, because IAM does not support any form of undeletion or restoration for deleted users. When an IAM user is deleted, all associated credentials, permissions, metadata, and even the user’s unique identifier are permanently and irreversibly removed from AWS. This technical limitation stems from IAM’s design as a strict identity and access management service that prioritizes security over recoverability—once a principal is gone, its entire record is purged. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of IAM’s immutable deletion model and often appears as a distractor where options suggest restoring from backups or using the AWS Management Console’s “undo” feature. A common trap is assuming that retaining the user name allows you to recover the original object, but you must manually reattach policies, groups, tags, and regenerate access keys and passwords. Memory tip: “IAM deletes for good—same name, fresh start.”
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 security administrator discovers that an IAM user has been deleted accidentally. What is the correct way to restore the user's access?
Contact AWS Support to undo the deletion
Why wrong: AWS cannot undo deletions.
Use the AWS IAM console to undelete the user
Why wrong: No undelete feature exists.
Restore the user from a backup of IAM
Why wrong: IAM does not have backup/restore.
Create a new IAM user with the same name and attach the same policies
This is the only way to restore access; password and keys must be reset.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Create a new IAM user with the same name and attach the same policies
Option D is correct because IAM does not support undeletion or restoration of deleted users. When an IAM user is deleted, all associated credentials, permissions, and metadata are permanently removed. The only way to restore access is to create a new IAM user with the same name and manually reattach the same policies, groups, and tags, and then regenerate access keys and passwords as needed.
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.
Contact AWS Support to undo the deletion
Why it's wrong here
AWS cannot undo deletions.
Use the AWS IAM console to undelete the user
Why it's wrong here
No undelete feature exists.
Restore the user from a backup of IAM
Why it's wrong here
IAM does not have backup/restore.
Create a new IAM user with the same name and attach the same policies
Why this is correct
This is the only way to restore access; password and keys must be reset.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may assume AWS provides an 'undelete' or 'restore from backup' feature for IAM users, similar to features in other AWS services like S3 versioning or RDS snapshots, but IAM has no such recovery mechanism.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, IAM user deletion is a synchronous, irreversible operation that removes the user object from the IAM data store, including all inline policies, attached managed policies, groups, access keys, signing certificates, and MFA devices. AWS does not maintain a recycle bin or soft-delete for IAM users; the only way to recover the configuration is to recreate the user from a previously saved state, such as an AWS CloudFormation template or a manual script. In real-world scenarios, organizations often use infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation) to manage IAM resources, enabling quick recreation of users and policies after accidental deletion.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Create a new IAM user with the same name and attach the same policies — Option D is correct because IAM does not support undeletion or restoration of deleted users. When an IAM user is deleted, all associated credentials, permissions, and metadata are permanently removed. The only way to restore access is to create a new IAM user with the same name and manually reattach the same policies, groups, and tags, and then regenerate access keys and passwords as needed.
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 11, 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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