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Question 157 of 1,748

Identity and Access Management →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question

This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. 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.

A company has an AWS Lambda function that processes messages from an Amazon SQS queue. The Lambda function is configured with an execution role that has the following IAM policy:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [

"sqs:ReceiveMessage", "sqs:DeleteMessage", "sqs:GetQueueAttributes"

],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:sqs:us-east-1:123456789012:MyQueue"
    },
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [

"logs:CreateLogGroup", "logs:CreateLogStream", "logs:PutLogEvents"

],
      "Resource": "*"
    }
  ]
}

The Lambda function is also configured with an SQS trigger that uses the same queue. The function code tries to send a message to an Amazon SNS topic, but the send fails with an AccessDenied error. 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.

A
The SQS queue has a resource-based policy that denies the Lambda function from sending to SNS.
Why wrong: SQS queue policies do not control the function's outbound calls.
B
The Lambda execution role does not have permissions to publish to SNS.
The policy only grants SQS and CloudWatch Logs permissions, not SNS.
C
The SNS topic has a resource-based policy that denies the Lambda function.
Why wrong: While a topic policy could deny, the most likely cause is missing IAM permissions.
D
The SQS queue is not configured to allow the Lambda function to send messages to SNS.
Why wrong: SQS queue configuration does not affect the function's ability to call other services.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 Lambda execution role does not have permissions to publish to SNS.

Option B is the correct answer. The Lambda function's execution role grants permissions for SQS and CloudWatch Logs but does not include any SNS actions (e.g., sns:Publish). Therefore, when the function attempts to send a message to an SNS topic, the request fails with an AccessDenied error. Option A is incorrect because an SQS queue policy cannot deny Lambda from calling SNS; SQS and SNS are separate services. Option C is incorrect because the SNS topic policy might allow or deny, but the primary issue is the missing IAM permission on the Lambda role. Option D is incorrect because SQS does not need configuration for Lambda to call SNS; the Lambda function makes the SNS call directly.

Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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 SQS queue has a resource-based policy that denies the Lambda function from sending to SNS.
Why it's wrong here
SQS queue policies do not control the function's outbound calls.
✓
The Lambda execution role does not have permissions to publish to SNS.
Why this is correct
The policy only grants SQS and CloudWatch Logs permissions, not SNS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The SNS topic has a resource-based policy that denies the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
While a topic policy could deny, the most likely cause is missing IAM permissions.
✗
The SQS queue is not configured to allow the Lambda function to send messages to SNS.
Why it's wrong here
SQS queue configuration does not affect the function's ability to call other services.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match

ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.

TExam Day Tips

Check inbound versus outbound direction.
Read the ACL from top to bottom.
Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.

Key takeaway

ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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.

Quick reference

Cloud Service Model Comparison

Model	You Manage	Provider Manages	Examples
IaaS	OS, runtime, apps, data	Hardware, hypervisor, networking	EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine
PaaS	Apps and data	OS, runtime, middleware, hardware	Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service
SaaS	Data and settings only	Everything else	Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday
FaaS / Serverless	Function code only	Infra, scaling, runtime	Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run
CaaS	Containers and apps	Kubernetes, OS, hardware	EKS, AKS, GKE

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SCS-C02 question test?

Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Standard ACLs match source addresses..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The Lambda execution role does not have permissions to publish to SNS. — Option B is the correct answer. The Lambda function's execution role grants permissions for SQS and CloudWatch Logs but does not include any SNS actions (e.g., sns:Publish). Therefore, when the function attempts to send a message to an SNS topic, the request fails with an AccessDenied error. Option A is incorrect because an SQS queue policy cannot deny Lambda from calling SNS; SQS and SNS are separate services. Option C is incorrect because the SNS topic policy might allow or deny, but the primary issue is the missing IAM permission on the Lambda role. Option D is incorrect because SQS does not need configuration for Lambda to call SNS; the Lambda function makes the SNS call directly.

What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?

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?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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