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.
An IAM policy allows a user to pass a specific role and launch EC2 instances. The user tries to launch an EC2 instance with the role 'ec2-full-access' but receives an error: 'You are not authorized to perform iam:PassRole'. What is the MOST likely cause?
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 user is attempting to pass a role with an ARN that does not exactly match the one in the policy
The error 'You are not authorized to perform iam:PassRole' indicates that the IAM policy does not allow the user to pass the role. The most likely cause is that the role ARN the user is trying to pass does not exactly match the ARN specified in the policy. Option A is incorrect because if the role didn't exist, the error would be different (e.g., 'The role does not exist'). Option C is incorrect because ec2:InstanceProfile is not a condition key for PassRole; it's a resource attribute. Option D is incorrect because the error is about PassRole, not RunInstances.
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 role 'ec2-full-access' does not exist in the account
Why it's wrong here
If the role did not exist, the error would be different, typically about the role not being found.
✓
The user is attempting to pass a role with an ARN that does not exactly match the one in the policy
Why this is correct
The policy allows PassRole only for the specific ARN; any other role will be denied.
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.
✗
The policy is missing a condition key such as ec2:InstanceProfile
Why it's wrong here
While a condition can be used, it is not required; the error is about PassRole, not RunInstances.
✗
The user does not have permission to call ec2:RunInstances
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows ec2:RunInstances on all resources, so that is not the issue.
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 user is attempting to pass a role with an ARN that does not exactly match the one in the policy — The error 'You are not authorized to perform iam:PassRole' indicates that the IAM policy does not allow the user to pass the role. The most likely cause is that the role ARN the user is trying to pass does not exactly match the ARN specified in the policy. Option A is incorrect because if the role didn't exist, the error would be different (e.g., 'The role does not exist'). Option C is incorrect because ec2:InstanceProfile is not a condition key for PassRole; it's a resource attribute. Option D is incorrect because the error is about PassRole, not RunInstances.
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.
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Question Discussion
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