- A
The IAM user is not authorized to perform 's3:PutObject' on the bucket 'my-bucket'.
Why wrong: The IAM policy explicitly allows 's3:PutObject' on objects in that bucket, so the user is authorized.
- B
The bucket policy denies access because the principal is not explicitly listed.
Why wrong: The bucket policy allows all principals in the same account, so the developer's user is included.
- C
The IAM policy grants 's3:PutObject' only on objects (/*), but the request may also require 's3:PutObject' on the bucket itself for some operations.
The IAM policy should allow 's3:PutObject' on the bucket ARN as well, or the bucket policy should explicitly allow the user. The bucket policy allows all principals in the account, so that is not the issue.
- D
The bucket 'my-bucket' does not exist in the same region as the CLI request.
Why wrong: The CLI uses the correct region; bucket names are globally unique.
Quick Answer
The answer is that the IAM policy grants s3:PutObject permission only on the object ARN (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*), but the AWS CLI may also require that permission on the bucket ARN (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket) itself for operations like initiating multipart uploads. This is because certain S3 upload methods, particularly those used by the CLI for larger files, first interact with the bucket resource to start the upload process, and the bucket-level permission is needed for that initial API call. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this distinction between bucket vs object ARN is a common trap—candidates often assume that granting PutObject on objects alone is sufficient for all uploads, but the exam tests your understanding that the bucket resource itself may be required for the request to succeed. A useful memory tip: think of it as needing the “door” (bucket ARN) to open before you can place items inside (object ARN).
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 developer is trying to upload an object to an S3 bucket named 'my-bucket' using the AWS CLI. The developer has an IAM user with a policy that includes 's3:PutObject' for 'arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*'. However, the upload fails with an 'Access Denied' error. The bucket policy is set to allow all principals from the same AWS account to perform 's3:PutObject'. What is the most likely cause of this failure?
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.
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 IAM policy grants 's3:PutObject' only on objects (/*), but the request may also require 's3:PutObject' on the bucket itself for some operations.
Option C is correct because the IAM policy grants 's3:PutObject' only on the bucket's object ARN (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*), but certain S3 operations, such as multipart uploads initiated via the AWS CLI, may require the 's3:PutObject' permission on the bucket resource itself (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket) to complete the upload. The bucket policy allows 's3:PutObject' for all principals in the same account, but the IAM user's policy is too restrictive, causing the 'Access Denied' error.
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 IAM user is not authorized to perform 's3:PutObject' on the bucket 'my-bucket'.
Why it's wrong here
The IAM policy explicitly allows 's3:PutObject' on objects in that bucket, so the user is authorized.
- ✗
The bucket policy denies access because the principal is not explicitly listed.
Why it's wrong here
The bucket policy allows all principals in the same account, so the developer's user is included.
- ✓
The IAM policy grants 's3:PutObject' only on objects (/*), but the request may also require 's3:PutObject' on the bucket itself for some operations.
Why this is correct
The IAM policy should allow 's3:PutObject' on the bucket ARN as well, or the bucket policy should explicitly allow the user. The bucket policy allows all principals in the account, so that is not the issue.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The bucket 'my-bucket' does not exist in the same region as the CLI request.
Why it's wrong here
The CLI uses the correct region; bucket names are globally unique.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume 's3:PutObject' on the object ARN (/*) is sufficient for all uploads, but the AWS CLI may require the same permission on the bucket ARN for multipart upload initiation, leading to an 'Access Denied' error even when the bucket policy is permissive.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the AWS CLI often uses multipart uploads for objects larger than 5 MB, which requires the 's3:PutObject' permission on the bucket resource (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket) to initiate the upload, in addition to the object-level permission. This is a subtle distinction between bucket-level and object-level ARNs; the IAM policy must explicitly grant the action on both ARNs for multipart uploads to succeed. In real-world scenarios, this trap catches developers who assume object-level permissions are sufficient for all upload operations.
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.
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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Identity and Access Management — study guide chapter
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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 IAM policy grants 's3:PutObject' only on objects (/*), but the request may also require 's3:PutObject' on the bucket itself for some operations. — Option C is correct because the IAM policy grants 's3:PutObject' only on the bucket's object ARN (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*), but certain S3 operations, such as multipart uploads initiated via the AWS CLI, may require the 's3:PutObject' permission on the bucket resource itself (arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket) to complete the upload. The bucket policy allows 's3:PutObject' for all principals in the same account, but the IAM user's policy is too restrictive, causing the 'Access Denied' error.
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.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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