- A
Use an SCP to allow S3 access for the instance.
Why wrong: SCPs are for Organizations, not for granting permissions to instances.
- B
Create a bucket policy that grants access to the instance ID.
Why wrong: Instance IDs are not principals; use roles.
- C
Store AWS access keys on the instance and use them in the application.
Why wrong: Access keys are a security risk and not recommended for EC2.
- D
Create an IAM role with S3 access and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
Roles avoid long-term credentials and follow best practices.
Question 779 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 run an application on an EC2 instance that accesses an S3 bucket. What is the best practice for granting permissions?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 with S3 access and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
The best practice for granting permissions to an application running on an EC2 instance to access an S3 bucket is to use an IAM role. Option D is correct because you create an IAM role with the necessary S3 permissions and attach it to the EC2 instance profile, allowing the application to obtain temporary credentials securely via the instance metadata service. Option A is wrong: a service control policy (SCP) is used to manage permissions across accounts in an organization, not to grant permissions directly to an instance. Option B is wrong: bucket policies can grant access based on IAM principals or conditions, but they cannot grant access directly to an instance ID; they should grant access to the IAM role assumed by the instance. Option C is wrong: storing AWS access keys on the instance is insecure because they can be compromised; IAM roles provide temporary, rotating credentials without the need for long-term keys.
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.
- ✗
Use an SCP to allow S3 access for the instance.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs are for Organizations, not for granting permissions to instances.
- ✗
Create a bucket policy that grants access to the instance ID.
Why it's wrong here
Instance IDs are not principals; use roles.
- ✗
Store AWS access keys on the instance and use them in the application.
Why it's wrong here
Access keys are a security risk and not recommended for EC2.
- ✓
Create an IAM role with S3 access and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
Why this is correct
Roles avoid long-term credentials and follow best practices.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
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 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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.
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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 — 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 with S3 access and attach it to the EC2 instance profile. — The best practice for granting permissions to an application running on an EC2 instance to access an S3 bucket is to use an IAM role. Option D is correct because you create an IAM role with the necessary S3 permissions and attach it to the EC2 instance profile, allowing the application to obtain temporary credentials securely via the instance metadata service. Option A is wrong: a service control policy (SCP) is used to manage permissions across accounts in an organization, not to grant permissions directly to an instance. Option B is wrong: bucket policies can grant access based on IAM principals or conditions, but they cannot grant access directly to an instance ID; they should grant access to the IAM role assumed by the instance. Option C is wrong: storing AWS access keys on the instance is insecure because they can be compromised; IAM roles provide temporary, rotating credentials without the need for long-term keys.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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.
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