- A
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why wrong: IaaS provides virtualized computing resources (e.g., virtual machines, storage) but requires the team to manage the operating system and runtime stack. This does not meet the goal of minimizing operational overhead for the platform layer.
- B
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS offers a managed platform where the provider handles the operating system, runtime, and middleware. Developers can upload code and let the provider manage capacity and patching, matching the team's requirement to minimize overhead.
- C
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why wrong: SaaS provides a ready-to-use application managed entirely by the provider. The team would not develop and deploy their own code; they would use an existing application. This does not fit the scenario.
- D
Function as a Service (FaaS)
Why wrong: FaaS is a subset of PaaS where developers upload individual functions that are event-driven. While it reduces overhead, it is typically used for short-lived, stateless functions, not for a full web application. The scenario describes a broader application, making PaaS a more accurate fit.
Quick Answer
The answer is Platform as a Service (PaaS). This is the correct choice because PaaS abstracts the underlying operating system, runtime, and middleware, allowing developers to simply upload application code and have it executed without managing infrastructure. The cloud provider automatically handles capacity provisioning, load balancing, and patching, directly meeting the requirement to minimize operational overhead while focusing solely on code. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the shared responsibility model and the three main cloud service models—IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. A common trap is confusing PaaS with IaaS, but remember: if the team does not manage the OS or runtime, it is PaaS, not IaaS. For a quick memory tip, think of PaaS as “Platform as a Service” where you bring only your code, and the platform does the rest—like AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
CLF-C02 Cloud Concepts Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 development team is building a web application and wants to minimize operational overhead. The team wants to focus solely on writing and deploying code without managing the underlying operating system, runtime, or middleware. The team needs the ability to simply upload their application code and have it run, with the cloud provider automatically handling capacity provisioning, load balancing, and patching of the platform. Which cloud computing service model best describes this approach?
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.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct model because it abstracts the underlying infrastructure, runtime, and middleware, allowing the team to simply upload code and have it executed. The cloud provider automatically handles capacity provisioning, load balancing, and patching, which directly matches the requirement to minimize operational overhead by focusing solely on code.
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.
- ✗
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why it's wrong here
IaaS provides virtualized computing resources (e.g., virtual machines, storage) but requires the team to manage the operating system and runtime stack. This does not meet the goal of minimizing operational overhead for the platform layer.
- ✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why this is correct
PaaS offers a managed platform where the provider handles the operating system, runtime, and middleware. Developers can upload code and let the provider manage capacity and patching, matching the team's requirement to minimize overhead.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why it's wrong here
SaaS provides a ready-to-use application managed entirely by the provider. The team would not develop and deploy their own code; they would use an existing application. This does not fit the scenario.
- ✗
Function as a Service (FaaS)
Why it's wrong here
FaaS is a subset of PaaS where developers upload individual functions that are event-driven. While it reduces overhead, it is typically used for short-lived, stateless functions, not for a full web application. The scenario describes a broader application, making PaaS a more accurate fit.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse PaaS with FaaS, mistakenly thinking that serverless functions (FaaS) inherently include full web application hosting with load balancing and capacity provisioning, whereas FaaS is event-driven and typically requires additional services (e.g., API Gateway, auto-scaling configuration) to achieve the same level of abstraction as PaaS.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
SaaS provides a ready-to-use application managed entirely by the provider. The team would not develop and deploy their own code; they would use an existing application. This does not fit the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, PaaS platforms like AWS Elastic Beanstalk or Google App Engine automatically manage the underlying EC2 instances, auto-scaling groups, and load balancers based on the uploaded application code. For example, Elastic Beanstalk uses a pre-configured stack (e.g., Apache/Nginx, PHP/Python) and handles OS patching via managed updates, while the developer only interacts with the application code and environment configuration. This model is ideal for teams that want to avoid the operational burden of maintaining a full IaaS stack but still need control over the application logic.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
- →
Cloud Concepts — study guide chapter
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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: Platform as a Service (PaaS) — Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct model because it abstracts the underlying infrastructure, runtime, and middleware, allowing the team to simply upload code and have it executed. The cloud provider automatically handles capacity provisioning, load balancing, and patching, which directly matches the requirement to minimize operational overhead by focusing solely on code.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "minimum / minimize". 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.
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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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