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Question 211 of 1,738

Identity and Access Management →mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is to create an IAM role with a policy that allows s3:PutObject on the bucket and attach it to the EC2 instance, combined with a bucket policy that explicitly grants the role write access. This dual-layer approach is required because the EC2 instance assumes the IAM role to obtain temporary credentials for the API call, while the S3 bucket policy acts as a resource-based policy to verify that the requesting principal (the role) is authorized to write logs. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between identity-based and resource-based policies, and it is a common trap to think that an instance profile alone is sufficient without a bucket policy allowing the role. Remember the key principle: for cross-account or cross-service access, both the caller’s permissions and the resource’s permissions must align. A useful memory tip is “Role to write, bucket to allow”—the IAM role grants the action, and the bucket policy grants the permission to that specific role.

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 security engineer is designing a system to allow an EC2 instance to write logs to an S3 bucket. Which TWO steps are required?

Question 1mediummulti select

Full question →

A
Configure the security group of the EC2 instance to allow outbound HTTPS traffic to S3.
Why wrong: Security groups control network traffic, not IAM permissions; outbound HTTPS is typically allowed by default.
B
Create a VPC endpoint for S3 in the same subnet as the EC2 instance.
Why wrong: A VPC endpoint is optional for private connectivity but not required.
C
Add a bucket policy that allows the IAM role to perform s3:PutObject.
The bucket policy must explicitly grant access to the role.
D
Create an IAM role with a policy that allows s3:PutObject on the bucket and attach it to the EC2 instance.
The role provides temporary credentials for the instance.
E
Enable AWS CloudTrail to capture log write events.
Why wrong: CloudTrail is not needed for the instance to write logs; it is for auditing API calls.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Add a bucket policy that allows the IAM role to perform s3:PutObject.

Options A and D are correct. The EC2 instance needs an IAM role with permissions to write to the bucket (A), and the bucket policy must allow the role to write (D). Option B is wrong because CloudTrail is for API logging, not application logs. Option C is wrong because the VPC endpoint is for private connectivity, not required. Option E is wrong because a security group does not grant IAM permissions.

Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Configure the security group of the EC2 instance to allow outbound HTTPS traffic to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups control network traffic, not IAM permissions; outbound HTTPS is typically allowed by default.
✗
Create a VPC endpoint for S3 in the same subnet as the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
A VPC endpoint is optional for private connectivity but not required.
✓
Add a bucket policy that allows the IAM role to perform s3:PutObject.
Why this is correct
The bucket policy must explicitly grant access to the role.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
✓
Create an IAM role with a policy that allows s3:PutObject on the bucket and attach it to the EC2 instance.
Why this is correct
The role provides temporary credentials for the instance.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to capture log write events.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail is not needed for the instance to write logs; it is for auditing API calls.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses

Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.

KKey Concepts to Remember

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.

TExam Day Tips

Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.

Key takeaway

Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

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.

Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related SCS-C02 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SCS-C02 question test?

Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Add a bucket policy that allows the IAM role to perform s3:PutObject. — Options A and D are correct. The EC2 instance needs an IAM role with permissions to write to the bucket (A), and the bucket policy must allow the role to write (D). Option B is wrong because CloudTrail is for API logging, not application logs. Option C is wrong because the VPC endpoint is for private connectivity, not required. Option E is wrong because a security group does not grant IAM permissions.

What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

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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.