Quick Answer
The answer is IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis. This AWS feature is specifically designed to scan IAM roles and policies, including those attached to EC2 instances, and generate a report of permissions that have not been invoked within a configurable timeframe, such as the 90-day window specified. It works by analyzing CloudTrail logs to determine which actions were actually used, then cross-referencing that activity against the permissions granted, making it the precise tool for right-sizing policies by removing unused actions. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between auditing tools: a common trap is confusing IAM Access Analyzer with IAM Credential Report (which only shows last password or key usage) or AWS Trusted Advisor (which checks broader security best practices). Remember the memory tip: "Access Analyzer analyzes access, not credentials" — if the task is to find unused permissions, not unused keys, always choose IAM Access Analyzer.
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 SysOps administrator manages IAM roles for Amazon EC2 instances. The administrator needs to identify permissions that have never been used in the last 90 days to right-size the policies. Which AWS feature should be used to achieve this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "never"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
AWS CloudTrail Insights
Why wrong: Identifies unusual API activity, not unused permissions.
IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis
Analyzes service last accessed data to identify unused permissions for least privilege.
IAM policy simulator
Why wrong: Tests policy effects but does not analyze historical usage.
AWS Config managed rules
Why wrong: Evaluates resource compliance, not permission usage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis
IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis is the correct AWS feature because it specifically analyzes IAM roles and policies to identify permissions that have not been used within a specified time frame (e.g., 90 days). It provides a report of unused actions, allowing the administrator to right-size policies by removing unnecessary permissions. This directly addresses the requirement to identify unused permissions for EC2 instance roles.
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 CloudTrail Insights
Why it's wrong here
Identifies unusual API activity, not unused permissions.
IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis
Why this is correct
Analyzes service last accessed data to identify unused permissions for least privilege.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
IAM policy simulator
Why it's wrong here
Tests policy effects but does not analyze historical usage.
AWS Config managed rules
Why it's wrong here
Evaluates resource compliance, not permission usage.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis with AWS CloudTrail Insights, but CloudTrail Insights focuses on anomalous activity patterns rather than a straightforward unused permissions report for policy right-sizing.
Detailed technical explanation
IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis works by analyzing CloudTrail logs to determine which actions have been performed by a role or user over a configurable time period (default 90 days). It generates a findings report that lists unused permissions at the action level, enabling granular policy refinement. In a real-world scenario, an administrator managing hundreds of EC2 instance roles can use this to reduce the attack surface by removing permissions like ec2:TerminateInstances if never used, without breaking existing workflows.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis — IAM Access Analyzer unused access analysis is the correct AWS feature because it specifically analyzes IAM roles and policies to identify permissions that have not been used within a specified time frame (e.g., 90 days). It provides a report of unused actions, allowing the administrator to right-size policies by removing unnecessary permissions. This directly addresses the requirement to identify unused permissions for EC2 instance roles.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "never". Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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