The answer is that the policy uses the invalid condition key "aws:RequestedAvailabilityZone" instead of the correct "ec2:AvailabilityZone". This is the most likely reason because AWS IAM condition keys must match the service-specific prefix—EC2 condition keys require the "ec2:" prefix, not the global "aws:" prefix. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this tests your understanding of how service-specific condition keys differ from global condition keys, and it’s a common trap where candidates confuse global keys like aws:SourceIp with service-specific keys. The key insight is that ec2:AvailabilityZone is evaluated only during the EC2 API call, not as a global request parameter. Memory tip: remember that EC2 lives in its own zone—always use the "ec2:" prefix for Availability Zone conditions, never "aws:".
SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management 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. 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 has an IAM policy that allows a user to launch EC2 instances only in a specific Availability Zone (us-east-1a). The user is able to launch instances, but the instances are launched in us-east-1b instead. What is the most likely reason?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy uses the condition key "aws:RequestedAvailabilityZone" which is not valid; it should be "ec2:AvailabilityZone".
Option B is correct because the condition key ec2:AvailabilityZone is not a global condition and must be specified with the appropriate prefix. Option A is wrong because the condition may not be evaluated correctly without the proper key. Option C is wrong because the policy should be evaluated. Option D is wrong because the user could still launch in that AZ if the policy allows.
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 policy is not attached to the user; it is attached to a group.
Why it's wrong here
Attaching to a group still applies to the user.
✗
The user is using an IAM role that overrides the policy.
Why it's wrong here
Roles do not override; policies are evaluated together.
✗
The policy uses a condition with ec2:Region instead of ec2:AvailabilityZone.
Why it's wrong here
Region condition would restrict to us-east-1, but not AZ.
✓
The policy uses the condition key "aws:RequestedAvailabilityZone" which is not valid; it should be "ec2:AvailabilityZone".
Why this is correct
The correct condition key is ec2:AvailabilityZone.
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
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.
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: The policy uses the condition key "aws:RequestedAvailabilityZone" which is not valid; it should be "ec2:AvailabilityZone". — Option B is correct because the condition key ec2:AvailabilityZone is not a global condition and must be specified with the appropriate prefix. Option A is wrong because the condition may not be evaluated correctly without the proper key. Option C is wrong because the policy should be evaluated. Option D is wrong because the user could still launch in that AZ if the policy allows.
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: "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
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 →
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. A security engineer needs to design an IAM policy that allows an IAM user to launch EC2 instances only if they specify a specific security group ID (sg-12345) and a specific instance type (t2.micro). Which policy achieves this?
Why D: Option B is correct because it uses condition keys ec2:InstanceType and ec2:SecurityGroup to restrict the RunInstances action. Option A does not restrict instance type. Option C uses the wrong condition key for security group. Option D uses RequestTag but security group is not a tag.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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