- A
Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny the iam:CreateAccessKey action unless a condition is met
Why wrong: SCPs cannot enforce that no access key is older than 90 days. They lack a condition key to evaluate the age of existing keys or new keys at creation. The claimed condition key 'iam:AccessKeysCreated' does not exist.
- B
Use CloudTrail to monitor CreateAccessKey events and trigger a Lambda function to disable old keys
Why wrong: CloudTrail and Lambda provide a reactive solution that disables old keys after detection, but the question asks for a proactive enforcement method.
- C
Use AWS Config rules in each account to detect keys older than 90 days and automatically delete them
Why wrong: AWS Config rules are reactive and only detect keys older than 90 days for deletion or remediation, not preventing creation of new keys while old keys exist.
- D
Create an IAM policy that denies CreateAccessKey if the user has any key older than 90 days
An IAM policy can deny CreateAccessKey when the user's existing access key is older than 90 days by using the condition key 'iam:AccessKeyAge'. If the user's current key is old, they cannot create a new one, enforcing the policy at creation time.
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.
An organization uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that no IAM user in any member account can create access keys that are more than 90 days old. What is the most efficient way to enforce this?
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
Create an IAM policy that denies CreateAccessKey if the user has any key older than 90 days
An IAM policy attached to all users or groups can deny the iam:CreateAccessKey action if the user has any access key older than 90 days. This is achieved using the condition key 'iam:AccessKeyAge' with a numeric condition to check the age of the access key used to authenticate the request. If that key is older than 90 days, the request is denied. This prevents users with old keys from creating new ones, effectively enforcing rotation. While this requires per-account policy attachment, it is the most direct option among those given.
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.
- ✗
Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny the iam:CreateAccessKey action unless a condition is met
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot enforce that no access key is older than 90 days. They lack a condition key to evaluate the age of existing keys or new keys at creation. The claimed condition key 'iam:AccessKeysCreated' does not exist.
- ✗
Use CloudTrail to monitor CreateAccessKey events and trigger a Lambda function to disable old keys
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail and Lambda provide a reactive solution that disables old keys after detection, but the question asks for a proactive enforcement method.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules in each account to detect keys older than 90 days and automatically delete them
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config rules are reactive and only detect keys older than 90 days for deletion or remediation, not preventing creation of new keys while old keys exist.
- ✓
Create an IAM policy that denies CreateAccessKey if the user has any key older than 90 days
Why this is correct
An IAM policy can deny CreateAccessKey when the user's existing access key is older than 90 days by using the condition key 'iam:AccessKeyAge'. If the user's current key is old, they cannot create a new one, enforcing the policy at creation time.
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 is that candidates may think an SCP can enforce this centrally, but SCPs cannot check the age of all keys belonging to a user. The correct method uses an IAM policy with the 'iam:AccessKeyAge' condition key.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs use the AWS Organizations policy language and support condition keys like iam:AccessKeysCreated to evaluate the age of existing access keys at the time of the CreateAccessKey request. The condition checks the key's creation date against the current time; if the oldest key exceeds 90 days, the SCP denies the action. This works because SCPs are evaluated before IAM policies and cannot be overridden by account administrators, making them ideal for preventive security controls across a multi-account environment.
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: Create an IAM policy that denies CreateAccessKey if the user has any key older than 90 days — An IAM policy attached to all users or groups can deny the iam:CreateAccessKey action if the user has any access key older than 90 days. This is achieved using the condition key 'iam:AccessKeyAge' with a numeric condition to check the age of the access key used to authenticate the request. If that key is older than 90 days, the request is denied. This prevents users with old keys from creating new ones, effectively enforcing rotation. While this requires per-account policy attachment, it is the most direct option among those given.
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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