- A
The SCP does not apply to the root user in member accounts.
Why wrong: SCP applies to root as well.
- B
The IAM policy allows the action, which overrides the SCP deny.
Why wrong: SCP deny takes precedence over IAM allow.
- C
The SCP is applied to the management account, not the member accounts.
Why wrong: It's attached to root OU, so applies to all member accounts.
- D
The SCP uses ec2:ResourceTag instead of aws:RequestTag for the condition.
Use aws:RequestTag to enforce tags on creation.
Question 305 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Service Control Policy (SCP) 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. A key principle to apply: service Control Policy (SCP). 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 and has a requirement to enforce that all EC2 instances launched in any account must have a specific tag "Environment" with value "Production". The security team wants to prevent any instance without this tag from being launched. They implement a service control policy (SCP) that denies the ec2:RunInstances action if the request does not include the required tag. However, they find that users are still able to launch instances without the tag. The SCP is attached to the root OU. The team also has an IAM policy that allows ec2:RunInstances with no conditions. What is the most likely reason the SCP is not preventing the launches?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
✓
The SCP uses ec2:ResourceTag instead of aws:RequestTag for the condition.
Option D is correct because the SCP condition must use the `aws:RequestTag` condition key to enforce tags on creation, not `ec2:ResourceTag`. The `ec2:ResourceTag` key only evaluates tags on existing resources, so it does not apply when an instance is launched. An SCP using `ec2:ResourceTag` would not deny the launch because the condition is not evaluated on the API request. To prevent launches without the required tag, the SCP should use `aws:RequestTag` to check the tags in the request. Options A, B, and C are incorrect: SCPs apply to all principals including root, IAM policies do not override SCP denies, and the SCP is attached to the root OU, not the management account.
Key principle: Service Control Policy (SCP)
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The SCP does not apply to the root user in member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
SCP applies to root as well.
- ✗
The IAM policy allows the action, which overrides the SCP deny.
Why it's wrong here
SCP deny takes precedence over IAM allow.
- ✗
The SCP is applied to the management account, not the member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
It's attached to root OU, so applies to all member accounts.
- ✓
The SCP uses ec2:ResourceTag instead of aws:RequestTag for the condition.
Why this is correct
Use aws:RequestTag to enforce tags on creation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Service Control Policy (SCP)
- aws:RequestTag Condition Key
- ec2:ResourceTag Condition Key
- SCP Evaluation
TExam Day Tips
- 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
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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.
Review service Control Policy (SCP), then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
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Management and Security Governance practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Service Control Policy (SCP).
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The SCP uses ec2:ResourceTag instead of aws:RequestTag for the condition. — Option D is correct because the SCP condition must use the `aws:RequestTag` condition key to enforce tags on creation, not `ec2:ResourceTag`. The `ec2:ResourceTag` key only evaluates tags on existing resources, so it does not apply when an instance is launched. An SCP using `ec2:ResourceTag` would not deny the launch because the condition is not evaluated on the API request. To prevent launches without the required tag, the SCP should use `aws:RequestTag` to check the tags in the request. Options A, B, and C are incorrect: SCPs apply to all principals including root, IAM policies do not override SCP denies, and the SCP is attached to the root OU, not the management account.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review service Control Policy (SCP), then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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