- A
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:ListBucket","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket"}]}
Why wrong: Only allows listing the bucket, not reading objects.
- B
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:*","Resource":"*"}]}
Why wrong: Allows all S3 actions on all resources, too permissive.
- C
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:PutObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"}]}
Why wrong: Allows write access, not read-only.
- D
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"}]}
Correctly allows read-only access to objects in the bucket.
Question 1,353 of 1,748
SCS-C02 s3:GetObject 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. A key principle to apply: s3:GetObject. 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 grant an IAM user read-only access to an S3 bucket named 'my-bucket'. Which policy should be attached to the IAM user?
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
✓
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"}]}
Option D is correct because it grants the s3:GetObject permission on the 'my-bucket/*' resource, which allows the IAM user to read (download) objects from the bucket. For full read-only access, both s3:ListBucket (to list objects) and s3:GetObject are typically required. However, among the given options, only option D provides a read action on the bucket's objects. Option A only grants s3:ListBucket (list access, not read), option B grants full s3 access, and option C grants write access. Therefore, D is the best choice for read-only access.
Key principle: s3:GetObject
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:ListBucket","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket"}]}
Why it's wrong here
Only allows listing the bucket, not reading objects.
- ✗
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:*","Resource":"*"}]}
Why it's wrong here
Allows all S3 actions on all resources, too permissive.
- ✗
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:PutObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"}]}
Why it's wrong here
Allows write access, not read-only.
- ✓
{"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"}]}
Why this is correct
Correctly allows read-only access to objects in the bucket.
Related concept
s3:GetObject
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse s3:ListBucket with read access, thinking listing objects is sufficient for reading, when in fact s3:GetObject is required to retrieve the actual object data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In AWS S3, read-only access typically requires two permissions: s3:ListBucket on the bucket ARN (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket) to list objects, and s3:GetObject on the object ARN (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*) to retrieve object data. The IAM policy evaluation logic uses an explicit deny override, so missing either permission can break common operations like 'aws s3 cp' or console browsing. In real-world scenarios, a read-only policy for S3 often includes both actions to allow listing and downloading, but the question's single-action options test the candidate's understanding of which action corresponds to reading object content.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- s3:GetObject
- s3:ListBucket
- IAM policy
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
s3:GetObject
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.
Review s3:GetObject, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Identity and Access Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Identity and Access Management practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SCS-C02 questions
1,748 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?
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — s3:GetObject.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: {"Version":"2012-10-17","Statement":[{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*"}]} — Option D is correct because it grants the s3:GetObject permission on the 'my-bucket/*' resource, which allows the IAM user to read (download) objects from the bucket. For full read-only access, both s3:ListBucket (to list objects) and s3:GetObject are typically required. However, among the given options, only option D provides a read action on the bucket's objects. Option A only grants s3:ListBucket (list access, not read), option B grants full s3 access, and option C grants write access. Therefore, D is the best choice for read-only access.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review s3:GetObject, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
s3:GetObject
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 →
Keep practising
More SCS-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to enforce that all Amazon S3 buckets a…
- A company is designing a multi-tier web application on AWS. The web tier must be accessible from the internet, but the a…
- A company is migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires two-way communication between the web serve…
- A security engineer is troubleshooting connectivity issues between an Amazon EC2 instance in a VPC and an on-premises se…
- A security engineer is reviewing the SQS queue policy shown in the exhibit. The queue is subscribed to an SNS topic in t…
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all IAM users in the pro…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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.