This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Allows a role to describe, start, and stop EC2 instances in the account.
Option C is correct because the policy allows ec2:DescribeInstances, ec2:StartInstances, and ec2:StopInstances actions. The resource is '*', so all EC2 instances in the account are affected. Option A is wrong because the actions are not S3. Option B is wrong because the policy allows start and stop. Option D is wrong because the principal is a role, not all users.
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.
✗
Allows a role from another account to describe, start, and stop EC2 instances in the current account.
Why it's wrong here
The principal is a role in the same account (123456789012), not a different account.
✓
Allows a role to describe, start, and stop EC2 instances in the account.
Why this is correct
The policy grants EC2 actions to the specified role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Allows all IAM users in the account to view EC2 instances.
Why it's wrong here
The principal is a specific role, not all users.
✗
Allows an IAM user to list and manage objects in the S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
The actions are EC2, not S3.
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 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 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.
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Allows a role to describe, start, and stop EC2 instances in the account. — Option C is correct because the policy allows ec2:DescribeInstances, ec2:StartInstances, and ec2:StopInstances actions. The resource is '*', so all EC2 instances in the account are affected. Option A is wrong because the actions are not S3. Option B is wrong because the policy allows start and stop. Option D is wrong because the principal is a role, not all users.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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