- A
Create an IAM user in the member account with the same name as the management account user.
Why wrong: Not a best practice; cross-account roles are preferred.
- B
Grant the user in the management account permissions to assume the role in the member account.
User needs sts:AssumeRole permission.
- C
Enable AWS Single Sign-On (SSO) for the member account.
Why wrong: SSO is not required for delegation.
- D
Create a service control policy (SCP) that allows the member account to be administered.
Why wrong: SCPs restrict, not grant, permissions.
- E
Create an IAM role in the member account with a trust policy that allows the management account to assume it.
Enables cross-account access.
Question 1,042 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
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 company is using AWS Organizations and wants to delegate administration of a specific member account to a user in the management account. Which TWO steps are required?
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
✓
Grant the user in the management account permissions to assume the role in the member account.
To delegate administration of a member account to a user in the management account, you must create an IAM role in the member account with a trust policy that allows the management account (or a specific user/role in it) to assume that role. Then, the user in the management account must be granted permissions (e.g., via an IAM policy) to call sts:AssumeRole on that role. This cross-account access pattern is the standard AWS mechanism for delegating administrative access without sharing long-term credentials.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM user in the member account with the same name as the management account user.
Why it's wrong here
Not a best practice; cross-account roles are preferred.
- ✓
Grant the user in the management account permissions to assume the role in the member account.
Why this is correct
User needs sts:AssumeRole permission.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable AWS Single Sign-On (SSO) for the member account.
Why it's wrong here
SSO is not required for delegation.
- ✗
Create a service control policy (SCP) that allows the member account to be administered.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs restrict, not grant, permissions.
- ✓
Create an IAM role in the member account with a trust policy that allows the management account to assume it.
Why this is correct
Enables cross-account access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse service control policies (SCPs) with IAM policies, thinking SCPs can grant permissions to delegate administration, when in fact SCPs only filter permissions and cannot grant access; the correct mechanism is always an IAM role with a trust policy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The trust policy in the IAM role (Option E) must specify the management account ID (or the ARN of the management account user/role) as a principal in the 'Principal' element, enabling the sts:AssumeRole API call. The permissions policy attached to that role defines what actions the delegated administrator can perform in the member account. The management account user then needs an IAM policy with 'sts:AssumeRole' action on that role's ARN (Option B). This pattern is fundamental to AWS cross-account access and is often used for centralized management of member accounts in AWS Organizations.
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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Grant the user in the management account permissions to assume the role in the member account. — To delegate administration of a member account to a user in the management account, you must create an IAM role in the member account with a trust policy that allows the management account (or a specific user/role in it) to assume that role. Then, the user in the management account must be granted permissions (e.g., via an IAM policy) to call sts:AssumeRole on that role. This cross-account access pattern is the standard AWS mechanism for delegating administrative access without sharing long-term credentials.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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