- A
Elasticity
Correct. Elasticity is the ability to automatically scale resources up or down to match demand. The Auto Scaling group adjusts the number of EC2 instances based on CPU utilization, which is a clear example of elasticity.
- B
High availability
Why wrong: Incorrect. High availability focuses on ensuring that the application remains operational despite failures (e.g., by distributing instances across multiple Availability Zones). The scenario emphasizes scaling to meet demand, not surviving failures.
- C
Fault tolerance
Why wrong: Incorrect. Fault tolerance means the system can continue operating without interruption even when a component fails, often through redundant components. The described setup is about scaling based on load, not about handling component failures.
- D
Durability
Why wrong: Incorrect. Durability refers to the long-term preservation of data, ensuring it is not lost or corrupted. This scenario involves compute resource scaling, not data persistence.
CLF-C02 Cloud Concepts Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud concepts. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 runs an e-commerce website on Amazon EC2 instances. The website experiences unpredictable traffic spikes during flash sales and returns to normal traffic levels afterward. To handle this, the company configures an Auto Scaling group that adds EC2 instances when the average CPU utilization exceeds 70% and removes instances when it drops below 30%. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this configuration primarily demonstrate?
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
Elasticity
This configuration demonstrates elasticity because it automatically scales EC2 instances up during flash sales (when CPU exceeds 70%) and scales them down when traffic normalizes (CPU below 30%). Elasticity is the ability to dynamically provision and de-provision resources to match demand, which is exactly what Auto Scaling groups with CPU utilization thresholds achieve.
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.
- ✓
Elasticity
Why this is correct
Correct. Elasticity is the ability to automatically scale resources up or down to match demand. The Auto Scaling group adjusts the number of EC2 instances based on CPU utilization, which is a clear example of elasticity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
High availability
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. High availability focuses on ensuring that the application remains operational despite failures (e.g., by distributing instances across multiple Availability Zones). The scenario emphasizes scaling to meet demand, not surviving failures.
- ✗
Fault tolerance
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Fault tolerance means the system can continue operating without interruption even when a component fails, often through redundant components. The described setup is about scaling based on load, not about handling component failures.
- ✗
Durability
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Durability refers to the long-term preservation of data, ensuring it is not lost or corrupted. This scenario involves compute resource scaling, not data persistence.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse elasticity with high availability or fault tolerance, but the question specifically tests the ability to match resource capacity to fluctuating demand, which is elasticity, not the ability to withstand failures or remain operational.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. High availability focuses on ensuring that the application remains operational despite failures (e.g., by distributing instances across multiple Availability Zones). The scenario emphasizes scaling to meet demand, not surviving failures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Auto Scaling group uses a target tracking scaling policy based on the Average CPUUtilization metric from Amazon CloudWatch. When the metric breaches the 70% threshold, the policy triggers a scale-out event by launching new EC2 instances from a launch template or configuration. Conversely, when CPU drops below 30%, a scale-in event terminates instances. This dynamic adjustment is the hallmark of elasticity, which is a fundamental characteristic of cloud computing (often contrasted with scalability, which can be manual or planned).
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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 CLF-C02 question test?
Cloud Concepts — This question tests Cloud Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Elasticity — This configuration demonstrates elasticity because it automatically scales EC2 instances up during flash sales (when CPU exceeds 70%) and scales them down when traffic normalizes (CPU below 30%). Elasticity is the ability to dynamically provision and de-provision resources to match demand, which is exactly what Auto Scaling groups with CPU utilization thresholds achieve.
What should I do if I get this CLF-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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-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 CLF-C02 exam.
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