The answer is a missing separate statement for s3:ListBucket on the bucket resource. While the IAM policy correctly grants s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject on the object ARN (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*) and applies the IP condition, the AWS CLI and SDK often require the ListBucket permission on the bucket itself (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket) to resolve object keys before performing uploads. Without it, the put operation fails even from an allowed IP. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how S3 permissions interact with API calls—specifically that object-level actions like PutObject can implicitly depend on bucket-level ListBucket for client-side operations. A common trap is assuming the IP condition is misconfigured, but the real issue is the missing list permission. Memory tip: remember the "bucket vs. object ARN" rule—ListBucket lives on the bucket, Get/Put live on the objects, and both are often needed for a successful upload.
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer is reviewing an IAM policy attached to a user. The policy is intended to allow the user to get and put objects in the S3 bucket 'example-bucket' only from the IP range 203.0.113.0/24. However, the user reports that they are unable to put objects from an IP within that range. What is the most likely cause of this issue?
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.
The condition key should be 'aws:sourceIp' (lowercase 's').
Why wrong: The condition key 'aws:SourceIp' is case-sensitive and must have a capital 'S'.
B
The policy should use the 'NotIpAddress' condition operator instead of 'IpAddress'.
Why wrong: Using 'NotIpAddress' would deny access from the specified IP range, not allow it.
C
The resource ARN should be 'arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket' without the '/*' suffix.
Why wrong: The resource ARN for GetObject and PutObject must include the object path '/*'.
D
The policy lacks a separate statement to allow 's3:ListBucket' on the bucket resource.
For console access, ListBucket is required; without it, the user cannot see the bucket but can still perform PutObject via API. However, the question implies inability to put objects, which could be due to missing ListBucket in some SDK scenarios.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy lacks a separate statement to allow 's3:ListBucket' on the bucket resource.
Option D is correct because the policy only grants s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject actions on the bucket's objects (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*), but does not include a separate statement allowing s3:ListBucket on the bucket resource (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket). Without s3:ListBucket, the user cannot list the bucket's contents, which is often required by the AWS CLI or SDK to resolve object keys before performing put operations. The IP condition is correctly applied, so the issue is the missing list permission.
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.
✗
The condition key should be 'aws:sourceIp' (lowercase 's').
Why it's wrong here
The condition key 'aws:SourceIp' is case-sensitive and must have a capital 'S'.
✗
The policy should use the 'NotIpAddress' condition operator instead of 'IpAddress'.
Why it's wrong here
Using 'NotIpAddress' would deny access from the specified IP range, not allow it.
✗
The resource ARN should be 'arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket' without the '/*' suffix.
Why it's wrong here
The resource ARN for GetObject and PutObject must include the object path '/*'.
✓
The policy lacks a separate statement to allow 's3:ListBucket' on the bucket resource.
Why this is correct
For console access, ListBucket is required; without it, the user cannot see the bucket but can still perform PutObject via API. However, the question implies inability to put objects, which could be due to missing ListBucket in some SDK scenarios.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" 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
The trap here is that candidates focus on the IP condition syntax or resource ARN format and overlook the common requirement for an explicit s3:ListBucket permission when performing object operations via the AWS CLI or SDK.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 IAM policies require separate resource ARNs for bucket-level actions (e.g., s3:ListBucket) and object-level actions (e.g., s3:GetObject). The bucket ARN is 'arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket', while object ARNs append '/*'. The AWS CLI's put-object command often performs an implicit list to verify the bucket exists and to resolve key paths, especially when using high-level commands like 'aws s3 cp', which internally calls ListObjectsV2. Without s3:ListBucket, the CLI may fail with an access denied error even if the put permission is present.
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.
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
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The policy lacks a separate statement to allow 's3:ListBucket' on the bucket resource. — Option D is correct because the policy only grants s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject actions on the bucket's objects (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*), but does not include a separate statement allowing s3:ListBucket on the bucket resource (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket). Without s3:ListBucket, the user cannot list the bucket's contents, which is often required by the AWS CLI or SDK to resolve object keys before performing put operations. The IP condition is correctly applied, so the issue is the missing list permission.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy is attached to an IAM user. The user reports that they can upload objects to the S3 bucket but cannot list the contents of the bucket. Which statement explains this behavior?
medium
✓ A.The policy does not include the s3:ListBucket action.
B.The policy includes s3:ListBucket but is missing the bucket ARN.
C.The policy denies the s3:ListBucket action.
D.The policy explicitly denies s3:ListBucket.
Why A: Option A is correct because the policy only grants s3:PutObject and s3:GetObject actions, but does not grant s3:ListBucket. The ListBucket action is required to list objects in the bucket. Option B is wrong because the policy allows PutObject and GetObject, not Deny. Option C is wrong because the policy does not include s3:ListBucket. Option D is wrong because the policy does not explicitly deny ListBucket; it just does not allow it.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
Question Discussion
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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.
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