- A
The request is allowed because the IAM policy is more specific.
Why wrong: Explicit deny overrides any allow regardless of specificity.
- B
The request is allowed because the IAM policy allows the action.
Why wrong: The bucket policy's explicit deny takes precedence.
- C
The request is denied because the bucket policy applies only to IAM users.
Why wrong: The bucket policy applies to all principals.
- D
The request is denied because the explicit deny in the bucket policy overrides the allow in the IAM policy.
Explicit deny always overrides any allow.
Question 700 of 1,748
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 s3:GetObject on all buckets. However, a specific S3 bucket policy explicitly denies s3:GetObject to all principals. An IAM user with the IAM policy tries to read an object from that bucket. What is the result?
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 request is denied because the explicit deny in the bucket policy overrides the allow in the IAM policy.
D is correct because AWS IAM policy evaluation logic follows an explicit deny override: any explicit deny in any applicable policy (resource-based or identity-based) overrides any allow. The S3 bucket policy explicitly denies s3:GetObject to all principals, so even though the IAM policy allows the action, the explicit deny takes precedence, resulting in a denied request.
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 request is allowed because the IAM policy is more specific.
Why it's wrong here
Explicit deny overrides any allow regardless of specificity.
- ✗
The request is allowed because the IAM policy allows the action.
Why it's wrong here
The bucket policy's explicit deny takes precedence.
- ✗
The request is denied because the bucket policy applies only to IAM users.
Why it's wrong here
The bucket policy applies to all principals.
- ✓
The request is denied because the explicit deny in the bucket policy overrides the allow in the IAM policy.
Why this is correct
Explicit deny always overrides any allow.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume an identity-based allow (IAM policy) can override a resource-based deny (bucket policy), but AWS explicitly prioritizes denies over allows across all policy types.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS IAM policy evaluation uses a default deny, then evaluates all applicable policies (identity-based and resource-based) for allows and denies. An explicit deny in any policy immediately overrides any allow, and the final result is deny. This is documented in the AWS IAM policy evaluation logic, which follows the order: explicit deny → allow → default deny. In practice, this prevents accidental access escalation when a resource-based policy explicitly blocks certain actions.
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 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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.
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The request is denied because the explicit deny in the bucket policy overrides the allow in the IAM policy. — D is correct because AWS IAM policy evaluation logic follows an explicit deny override: any explicit deny in any applicable policy (resource-based or identity-based) overrides any allow. The S3 bucket policy explicitly denies s3:GetObject to all principals, so even though the IAM policy allows the action, the explicit deny takes precedence, resulting in a denied request.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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