Quick Answer
The answer is users, roles, and permissions. According to NIST’s RBAC model (INCITS 359-2012), these three core RBAC components form the foundational triad: users are the human actors, roles represent job functions or responsibilities, and permissions define the approved access to resources. The system works by assigning users to roles, and then granting permissions to those roles, so that users never receive permissions directly—only through their role membership. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this concept tests your understanding of the NIST standard’s mandatory elements; a common trap is to include “sessions” or “constraints,” which are advanced or optional features, not core components. Remember the mnemonic “U-R-P” (Users, Roles, Permissions) to lock in the three required pieces—without any one of them, the RBAC model cannot function.
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of access controls. 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 THREE are required components of a core role-based access control (RBAC) system according to NIST? (Choose three.)
Constraints
Why wrong: Constraints (e.g., separation of duties) are part of constrained RBAC but not required for core RBAC.
Users
Users are the subjects that are assigned to roles.
Permissions
Permissions define the access rights associated with roles.
Sessions
Why wrong: Sessions are part of session-based RBAC but not required for core RBAC.
Roles
Roles are a fundamental component of RBAC; permissions are assigned to roles.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Users
Option B (Users) is correct because in NIST's RBAC model (INCITS 359-2012), users are the human actors who are assigned to roles. The core components of RBAC are users, roles, and permissions; users are the subjects that ultimately receive permissions through their role membership. Without users, there is no entity to which roles and permissions can be assigned.
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.
Constraints
Why it's wrong here
Constraints (e.g., separation of duties) are part of constrained RBAC but not required for core RBAC.
Users
Why this is correct
Users are the subjects that are assigned to roles.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Permissions
Why this is correct
Permissions define the access rights associated with roles.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Sessions
Why it's wrong here
Sessions are part of session-based RBAC but not required for core RBAC.
Roles
Why this is correct
Roles are a fundamental component of RBAC; permissions are assigned to roles.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the distinction between core and advanced RBAC components, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly include constraints or sessions as mandatory because they are commonly discussed in security policies, but NIST explicitly defines them as optional extensions to the core model.
Detailed technical explanation
NIST RBAC defines three levels: Core RBAC (Level 1) requires only users, roles, and permissions with user-role and permission-role assignments. Hierarchical RBAC (Level 2) adds role hierarchies and sessions, while Constrained RBAC (Level 3) adds separation of duty constraints. In practice, many enterprise implementations (e.g., Microsoft Active Directory, Oracle RBAC) use sessions to limit privilege escalation by allowing users to activate only specific roles during a login session, but this is not mandatory for a basic RBAC system.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Access Controls — This question tests Access Controls — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Users — Option B (Users) is correct because in NIST's RBAC model (INCITS 359-2012), users are the human actors who are assigned to roles. The core components of RBAC are users, roles, and permissions; users are the subjects that ultimately receive permissions through their role membership. Without users, there is no entity to which roles and permissions can be assigned.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This SSCP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 SSCP exam.
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