- A
Create an IAM group in the security account with permissions to assume roles in member accounts.
Why wrong: Groups are not used for assuming roles; you need a user or role with sts:AssumeRole.
- B
Enable AWS Organizations trusted access with AWS IAM Access Analyzer.
Why wrong: Access Analyzer is not required for cross-account role assumption.
- C
Create an IAM role in each member account with a trust policy that allows the security account to assume the role.
This establishes the trust relationship for cross-account access.
- D
Apply an SCP to the member accounts that denies iam:PassRole for the roles.
SCPs can prevent member accounts from altering the trust policy of the roles, maintaining security.
- E
Create an IAM user or role in the security account with an IAM policy that allows sts:AssumeRole to the member account roles.
This grants the ability to assume the roles.
Quick Answer
The correct answer involves three essential steps: creating IAM roles in each member account with a trust policy that allows the central security account to assume them, creating an IAM user or role in the security account with an IAM policy permitting sts:AssumeRole to those member account roles, and applying a service control policy (SCP) to prevent member accounts from modifying their own trust policies. This setup is necessary because SCPs act as a centralized guardrail within AWS Organizations, ensuring that only the security account can manage cross-account access, while the trust policy establishes the explicit permission boundary for role assumption. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to combine IAM trust policies, SCPs, and Organizations to enforce least privilege at scale—a common trap is assuming you must create an IAM user in every member account or that AWS Organizations is required for the trust relationship itself, which it is not. Memory tip: think of the SCP as the "lock" on the member account's trust policy, the IAM role as the "door," and the security account's sts:AssumeRole permission as the "key."
SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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 uses AWS Organizations with 50 accounts. The security team wants to centrally manage IAM roles that grant cross-account access to a central security account. Which THREE steps are required to set up this cross-account access?
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
Create an IAM role in each member account with a trust policy that allows the security account to assume the role.
The correct approach: create IAM roles in each member account with a trust policy allowing the security account to assume them, create an IAM user or role in the security account with sts:AssumeRole permissions, and use an SCP to prevent member accounts from modifying the trust policy. Option D is not needed because AWS Organizations can be used but not required. Option E is not necessary.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM group in the security account with permissions to assume roles in member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Groups are not used for assuming roles; you need a user or role with sts:AssumeRole.
- ✗
Enable AWS Organizations trusted access with AWS IAM Access Analyzer.
Why it's wrong here
Access Analyzer is not required for cross-account role assumption.
- ✓
Create an IAM role in each member account with a trust policy that allows the security account to assume the role.
Why this is correct
This establishes the trust relationship for cross-account access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Apply an SCP to the member accounts that denies iam:PassRole for the roles.
Why this is correct
SCPs can prevent member accounts from altering the trust policy of the roles, maintaining security.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create an IAM user or role in the security account with an IAM policy that allows sts:AssumeRole to the member account roles.
Why this is correct
This grants the ability to assume the roles.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
- →
Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Management and Security Governance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SCS-C02 questions
1,738 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SCS-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SCS-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Threat Detection and Incident Response.
Security Logging and Monitoring practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Security Logging and Monitoring.
Identity and Access Management practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Management and Security Governance practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Management and Security Governance.
Infrastructure Security practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Infrastructure Security.
Data Protection practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Data Protection.
SCS-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 fundamentals.
SCS-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 scenario.
SCS-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SCS-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM role in each member account with a trust policy that allows the security account to assume the role. — The correct approach: create IAM roles in each member account with a trust policy allowing the security account to assume them, create an IAM user or role in the security account with sts:AssumeRole permissions, and use an SCP to prevent member accounts from modifying the trust policy. Option D is not needed because AWS Organizations can be used but not required. Option E is not necessary.
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.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.