The answer is that the action is denied because the source IP does not match the allowed range. This occurs because the IAM policy includes an explicit deny statement with a `NotIpAddress` condition that restricts all actions to the `10.0.0.0/8` range, and the user’s IP of `198.51.100.10` falls outside it. In IAM policy evaluation, an explicit deny always overrides any allow, meaning the deny statement takes precedence regardless of the allow block in the same policy. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the explicit deny override principle, often appearing in scenarios where a condition key like `aws:SourceIp` is used to restrict access. A common trap is assuming an allow statement can bypass a deny with a mismatched condition; remember that explicit deny is the final authority. Memory tip: “Deny is the final say—if the condition doesn’t match, the action won’t dispatch.”
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.
Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy is attached to a group. An IAM user in that group attempts to stop an EC2 instance from IP address 198.51.100.10. What will happen?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The action is denied because the source IP does not match the allowed range
The IAM policy includes a `Deny` statement with a `NotIpAddress` condition that restricts all actions (including `StopInstances`) to the IP range `10.0.0.0/8`. Since the user's source IP is `198.51.100.10`, which falls outside this range, the deny statement explicitly blocks the action. In IAM, an explicit deny always overrides any allow, so the request is denied regardless of the allow statement in the first policy block.
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 action is allowed because the first statement allows StopInstances
Why it's wrong here
Deny overrides allow regardless of order.
✗
The action is allowed because the resource is '*'
Why it's wrong here
The Deny applies to all resources.
✓
The action is denied because the source IP does not match the allowed range
Why this is correct
The Deny statement blocks requests from IPs not in the allowed range.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The action is denied only if the user is not using MFA
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the allow statement with `Effect: Allow` and `Action: ec2:StopInstances` will grant permission, forgetting that an explicit deny with a condition that does not match the request context takes precedence over any allow.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAM policy evaluation logic follows an explicit deny priority: if any statement denies an action, the result is `Deny` regardless of other allows. The `NotIpAddress` condition key uses CIDR notation and is evaluated against the `aws:SourceIp` context key, which is derived from the TCP connection's source IP address. In real-world scenarios, this pattern is used to enforce network-based access controls, such as requiring administrative actions to originate from a corporate VPN range (e.g., `10.0.0.0/8`), and any request from outside that range is automatically denied.
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.
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
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 action is denied because the source IP does not match the allowed range — The IAM policy includes a `Deny` statement with a `NotIpAddress` condition that restricts all actions (including `StopInstances`) to the IP range `10.0.0.0/8`. Since the user's source IP is `198.51.100.10`, which falls outside this range, the deny statement explicitly blocks the action. In IAM, an explicit deny always overrides any allow, so the request is denied regardless of the allow statement in the first policy block.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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. Refer to the exhibit. An IAM user has this policy attached. Can the user create a new IAM user in the us-east-1 region?
easy
A.Yes, because the Allow statement explicitly permits CreateUser.
B.No, because IAM is a global service and region conditions do not apply.
C.Yes, because the Deny only applies to us-east-1.
✓ D.No, because the Deny statement blocks all IAM actions in us-east-1.
Why D: Option C is correct. The Deny statement applies to all IAM actions in us-east-1, which overrides the Allow for CreateUser. Since the Deny is explicit, it blocks the action even though there is an Allow. The request fails.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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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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