- A
The user's permissions boundary blocks EC2 actions.
Correct. A permissions boundary can include conditions that restrict EC2 actions to specific VPCs, blocking launch in other VPCs.
- B
The user has exceeded the maximum number of EC2 instances allowed.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Exceeding the maximum number of instances would prevent all new launches, not just in a specific VPC.
- C
The VPC has an IAM policy attached that denies the ec2:RunInstances action.
Why wrong: Incorrect. VPCs do not support resource-based IAM policies; this is not a valid cause.
- D
The key pair specified is not owned by the user.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Key pair ownership does not affect launching in a specific VPC; keys can be shared or created.
Question 159 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Resource-based policy 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. A key principle to apply: resource-based policy. 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.
An administrator is troubleshooting an issue where an IAM user cannot launch an EC2 instance in a specific VPC. The user has the AmazonEC2FullAccess policy attached. What is the most likely cause?
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 user's permissions boundary blocks EC2 actions.
The most likely cause is that the user's permissions boundary blocks EC2 actions, specifically by not allowing ec2:RunInstances for the specified VPC. Permissions boundaries can include conditions that restrict actions to certain resources, such as a specific VPC. Since the user has AmazonEC2FullAccess, which allows all EC2 actions, a permissions boundary can limit these permissions. Option B is incorrect because account limits are not specific to a single VPC. Option C is incorrect because VPCs do not support resource-based IAM policies; IAM policies cannot be attached directly to a VPC. Option D is incorrect because key pair ownership does not affect the ability to launch an instance in a specific VPC.
Key principle: Resource-based policy
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 user's permissions boundary blocks EC2 actions.
Why this is correct
Correct. A permissions boundary can include conditions that restrict EC2 actions to specific VPCs, blocking launch in other VPCs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Resource-based policy
- ✗
The user has exceeded the maximum number of EC2 instances allowed.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Exceeding the maximum number of instances would prevent all new launches, not just in a specific VPC.
- ✗
The VPC has an IAM policy attached that denies the ec2:RunInstances action.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. VPCs do not support resource-based IAM policies; this is not a valid cause.
- ✗
The key pair specified is not owned by the user.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Key pair ownership does not affect launching in a specific VPC; keys can be shared or created.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common trap is to think that a user with a full access policy (like AmazonEC2FullAccess) can always perform any action. However, resource-based policies (e.g., VPC endpoint policies or VPC-specific IAM policies) can deny actions even if the user's identity-based policy allows them.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Resource-based policy
- Identity-based policy
- Permissions boundary
- ec2:RunInstances
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
Resource-based policy
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.
Review resource-based policy, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Identity and Access Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Identity and Access Management practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SCS-C02 questions
1,748 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SCS-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SCS-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Threat Detection and Incident Response.
Security Logging and Monitoring practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Security Logging and Monitoring.
Identity and Access Management practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Management and Security Governance practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Management and Security Governance.
Infrastructure Security practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Infrastructure Security.
Data Protection practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Data Protection.
SCS-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 fundamentals.
SCS-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 scenario.
SCS-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SCS-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Resource-based policy.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The user's permissions boundary blocks EC2 actions. — The most likely cause is that the user's permissions boundary blocks EC2 actions, specifically by not allowing ec2:RunInstances for the specified VPC. Permissions boundaries can include conditions that restrict actions to certain resources, such as a specific VPC. Since the user has AmazonEC2FullAccess, which allows all EC2 actions, a permissions boundary can limit these permissions. Option B is incorrect because account limits are not specific to a single VPC. Option C is incorrect because VPCs do not support resource-based IAM policies; IAM policies cannot be attached directly to a VPC. Option D is incorrect because key pair ownership does not affect the ability to launch an instance in a specific VPC.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review resource-based policy, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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?
Resource-based policy
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 →
Keep practising
More SCS-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to enforce that all Amazon S3 buckets a…
- A company is designing a multi-tier web application on AWS. The web tier must be accessible from the internet, but the a…
- A company is migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires two-way communication between the web serve…
- A security engineer is troubleshooting connectivity issues between an Amazon EC2 instance in a VPC and an on-premises se…
- A security engineer is reviewing the SQS queue policy shown in the exhibit. The queue is subscribed to an SNS topic in t…
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all IAM users in the pro…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.