- A
Mandatory access control, because a central authority labels each expense report by sensitivity.
Why wrong: MAC is driven by centrally assigned labels, but the scenario is about business roles and auditability, not classification labels.
- B
Role-based access control, because permissions are assigned by job function and tied to named users.
RBAC matches a finance workflow where users inherit permissions based on job roles such as approver, reviewer, or auditor. It is easy to administer, supports least privilege, and works well when access should be consistent for groups with similar duties. The requirement to trace approvals to individuals is also satisfied when each person uses a unique account and actions are logged.
- C
Discretionary access control, because individual employees decide who can approve expenses.
Why wrong: DAC lets resource owners share permissions at their discretion, which is less controlled than the role-driven model described.
- D
Rule-based access control, because approval rights are determined only by the time of day.
Why wrong: Rule-based access can enforce conditions, but the question focuses on job-based assignment rather than conditional timing rules.
Quick Answer
The answer is role-based access control (RBAC), because it assigns permissions strictly by job function and ties every action to a named user account. This model directly meets the requirement for traceable approvals within assigned roles, as RBAC maps roles like “Finance Approver” to specific permissions, while user authentication ensures each approval is logged against an individual. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how RBAC differs from discretionary (DAC) or mandatory (MAC) models—common traps include confusing RBAC with attribute-based control (ABAC) or assuming DAC’s owner-set permissions suffice. Remember that RBAC’s core principle is “permissions follow the role, not the user,” which guarantees both segregation of duties and non-repudiation. For a quick memory tip: think “Role first, user second” to distinguish RBAC from other access control models.
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. 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 is redesigning access for a finance application. Employees should be able to approve expense reports only within their assigned job roles, and every approval must be traceable to the individual user who performed it. Which access model best fits this requirement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Role-based access control, because permissions are assigned by job function and tied to named users.
Role-based access control (RBAC) is the correct choice because it assigns permissions based on job functions (e.g., 'Finance Approver') and links those permissions to named user accounts. This ensures that only employees in the appropriate role can approve expense reports, and each approval action is logged against the specific user, providing non-repudiation and traceability.
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.
- ✗
Mandatory access control, because a central authority labels each expense report by sensitivity.
Why it's wrong here
MAC is driven by centrally assigned labels, but the scenario is about business roles and auditability, not classification labels.
- ✓
Role-based access control, because permissions are assigned by job function and tied to named users.
Why this is correct
RBAC matches a finance workflow where users inherit permissions based on job roles such as approver, reviewer, or auditor. It is easy to administer, supports least privilege, and works well when access should be consistent for groups with similar duties. The requirement to trace approvals to individuals is also satisfied when each person uses a unique account and actions are logged.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Discretionary access control, because individual employees decide who can approve expenses.
Why it's wrong here
DAC lets resource owners share permissions at their discretion, which is less controlled than the role-driven model described.
- ✗
Rule-based access control, because approval rights are determined only by the time of day.
Why it's wrong here
Rule-based access can enforce conditions, but the question focuses on job-based assignment rather than conditional timing rules.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'rule-based access control' (which uses condition-based rules like time-of-day) with 'role-based access control' (which uses job functions), leading them to select option D despite the question's clear focus on job roles and user traceability.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
MAC is driven by centrally assigned labels, but the scenario is about business roles and auditability, not classification labels.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In RBAC, permissions are associated with roles (e.g., 'Expense Approver'), and users are assigned to roles via a role assignment relation. The finance application would implement RBAC by mapping each user's identity to a role in a directory service (e.g., Active Directory or LDAP), and the application's access control engine checks role membership before allowing an approval action. Audit logs capture the user's unique identifier (e.g., SAMAccountName) along with the action timestamp, satisfying traceability requirements under frameworks like SOX or PCI DSS.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
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 SY0-701 question test?
General Security Concepts — This question tests General Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Role-based access control, because permissions are assigned by job function and tied to named users. — Role-based access control (RBAC) is the correct choice because it assigns permissions based on job functions (e.g., 'Finance Approver') and links those permissions to named user accounts. This ensures that only employees in the appropriate role can approve expense reports, and each approval action is logged against the specific user, providing non-repudiation and traceability.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SY0-701
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, which access model best fits the business requirement without creating many custom roles?
medium- A.RBAC, because every user can be placed into a fixed role that never changes.
- ✓ B.ABAC, because access can be evaluated using user, resource, and environment attributes together.
- C.DAC, because each file owner can decide access individually without any central rule engine.
- D.MAC, because users should manually grant access to themselves when needed.
Why B: B is correct because Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) evaluates multiple attributes (user, resource, environment) to dynamically determine access, which fits a business requirement that needs flexible, context-aware permissions without creating many custom roles. Unlike RBAC, ABAC avoids role explosion by using policies that combine attributes, making it ideal for environments where access decisions depend on factors like time, location, or data sensitivity.
Variation 2. Based on the exhibit, which access change best follows least privilege while still allowing the help desk to complete the task?
hard- A.Add helpdesk_27 to Domain_Admin for seven days, since the request is urgent and time-limited.
- B.Use a shared administrator password so the technician can finish the ticket without changing group memberships.
- ✓ C.Grant helpdesk_27 the Helpdesk_Admin role for the ticket and remove it after completion.
- D.Ask the user's manager to perform the reset manually so the help desk does not need additional access.
Why C: Option C is correct because it implements Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) by granting the help desk technician a temporary, ticket-specific role (Helpdesk_Admin) that provides just enough privileges to perform the password reset without granting broader administrative rights. This follows the principle of least privilege by limiting the elevated access to the exact scope and duration needed, and the role can be automatically revoked after the ticket is closed, minimizing the attack surface.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 SY0-701 exam.
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