Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Config and AWS Organizations tag policies. AWS Config enforces tagging by using managed rules like required-tags to continuously evaluate and flag noncompliant resources, while tag policies in AWS Organizations allow you to define and enforce consistent tagging rules across accounts at the organizational level, preventing noncompliant tags from being applied. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between services that actively enforce tagging versus those that only assist with provisioning or permissions—a common trap is choosing IAM or CloudFormation, but IAM controls actions, not tag values, and CloudFormation only applies tags during stack creation, not to existing resources. Remember the memory tip: “Config checks, Policies block”—Config evaluates what’s already there, while tag policies prevent noncompliant tags from being created in the first place.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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.
Which TWO AWS services can be used to enforce that specific resource types (e.g., EC2 instances) are tagged with a 'CostCenter' tag? (Choose two.)
AWS Organizations tag policies
Can enforce tags across accounts in the organization.
AWS Service Catalog
Why wrong: Manages approved products, not tag enforcement.
AWS Config
Can create a custom rule to check for required tags.
AWS CloudFormation
Why wrong: Can be used to tag resources at creation but not enforce on existing resources.
AWS IAM
Why wrong: Controls permissions but cannot enforce tagging on resources.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Organizations tag policies
AWS Config can evaluate resource tagging and AWS Organizations can use tag policies. IAM is for permissions, not enforcement; CloudFormation can be used but not for existing resources; Service Catalog is for provisioning, not enforcement.
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.
AWS Organizations tag policies
Why this is correct
Can enforce tags across accounts in the organization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Service Catalog
Why it's wrong here
Manages approved products, not tag enforcement.
AWS Config
Why this is correct
Can create a custom rule to check for required tags.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CloudFormation
Why it's wrong here
Can be used to tag resources at creation but not enforce on existing resources.
AWS IAM
Why it's wrong here
Controls permissions but cannot enforce tagging on resources.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Organizations tag policies — AWS Config can evaluate resource tagging and AWS Organizations can use tag policies. IAM is for permissions, not enforcement; CloudFormation can be used but not for existing resources; Service Catalog is for provisioning, not enforcement.
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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