This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 S3 bucket with versioning and MFA Delete enabled. A user attempts to delete an object version using the AWS CLI without MFA. What will happen?
The object version is marked for deletion and will be deleted after 30 days.
Why wrong: No deletion occurs.
The request fails with an AccessDenied error.
MFA Delete requires MFA for version deletion.
The object version is deleted and a delete marker is created.
Why wrong: Delete markers are for non-versioned delete requests.
The object version is deleted but not permanently.
Why wrong: MFA Delete prevents deletion without MFA.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The request fails with an AccessDenied error.
Option B is correct. With MFA Delete enabled on the S3 bucket, any request to delete an object version must include MFA authentication. Since the user's AWS CLI request did not provide MFA, the request is denied and returns an AccessDenied error. Option A is incorrect because there is no automatic 30-day delay; the request fails immediately. Option C is incorrect because a delete marker is only created for non-versioned delete requests when the bucket is versioned, not for explicit version deletion without MFA. Option D is incorrect because the deletion is completely rejected, not partially executed.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The object version is marked for deletion and will be deleted after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
No deletion occurs.
The request fails with an AccessDenied error.
Why this is correct
MFA Delete requires MFA for version deletion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The object version is deleted and a delete marker is created.
Why it's wrong here
Delete markers are for non-versioned delete requests.
The object version is deleted but not permanently.
Why it's wrong here
MFA Delete prevents deletion without MFA.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
| 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
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.
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FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The request fails with an AccessDenied error. — Option B is correct. With MFA Delete enabled on the S3 bucket, any request to delete an object version must include MFA authentication. Since the user's AWS CLI request did not provide MFA, the request is denied and returns an AccessDenied error. Option A is incorrect because there is no automatic 30-day delay; the request fails immediately. Option C is incorrect because a delete marker is only created for non-versioned delete requests when the bucket is versioned, not for explicit version deletion without MFA. Option D is incorrect because the deletion is completely rejected, not partially executed.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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