- A
Public cloud
Why wrong: A public cloud deployment means all infrastructure is hosted by a third-party provider (like AWS) and accessible over the internet. In this scenario, the company retains data on-premises, so it is not a purely public cloud model.
- B
Private cloud
Why wrong: A private cloud deployment means infrastructure is used exclusively by a single organization, typically on-premises or in a dedicated hosted environment. Here, the company uses AWS services, so it is not entirely private cloud.
- C
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud deployment combines on-premises infrastructure (private cloud) with public cloud services, connected securely. This matches the scenario where sensitive data stays on-premises while analytics run on AWS.
- D
Community cloud
Why wrong: A community cloud is shared by several organizations with similar compliance or security concerns, often managed by a third party. This scenario involves only one company using a mix of on-premises and public cloud, not a shared community infrastructure.
CLF-C02 Cloud Concepts Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud 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.
A financial services company is required by regulation to keep all customer transaction data on-premises. However, they want to use AWS to run analytics workloads on this data using Amazon EMR and Amazon S3 for temporary storage of intermediate results. They need a solution that connects their on-premises network to AWS securely and allows them to extend their on-premises environment into the AWS Cloud. Which cloud computing deployment model does this scenario BEST describe?
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
Hybrid cloud
Option C is correct because the scenario describes a hybrid cloud deployment model, where the company maintains on-premises infrastructure for regulatory compliance (keeping customer transaction data on-premises) while leveraging AWS public cloud services (Amazon EMR and Amazon S3) for analytics workloads. The requirement to connect the on-premises network to AWS securely and extend the on-premises environment into the AWS Cloud is a defining characteristic of hybrid cloud, often implemented using AWS Direct Connect or VPN connections to create a unified network.
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.
- ✗
Public cloud
Why it's wrong here
A public cloud deployment means all infrastructure is hosted by a third-party provider (like AWS) and accessible over the internet. In this scenario, the company retains data on-premises, so it is not a purely public cloud model.
- ✗
Private cloud
Why it's wrong here
A private cloud deployment means infrastructure is used exclusively by a single organization, typically on-premises or in a dedicated hosted environment. Here, the company uses AWS services, so it is not entirely private cloud.
- ✓
Hybrid cloud
Why this is correct
A hybrid cloud deployment combines on-premises infrastructure (private cloud) with public cloud services, connected securely. This matches the scenario where sensitive data stays on-premises while analytics run on AWS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Community cloud
Why it's wrong here
A community cloud is shared by several organizations with similar compliance or security concerns, often managed by a third party. This scenario involves only one company using a mix of on-premises and public cloud, not a shared community infrastructure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'hybrid cloud' with 'public cloud' because the company uses AWS services, but the key differentiator is the integration with on-premises infrastructure to meet regulatory data residency requirements.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
A community cloud is shared by several organizations with similar compliance or security concerns, often managed by a third party. This scenario involves only one company using a mix of on-premises and public cloud, not a shared community infrastructure.
Scenario analysis trap
A public cloud deployment means all infrastructure is hosted by a third-party provider (like AWS) and accessible over the internet. In this scenario, the company retains data on-premises, so it is not a purely public cloud model.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a hybrid cloud architecture, network connectivity is typically established via AWS Direct Connect (using 802.1Q VLANs and BGP for private IP routing) or a site-to-site VPN (using IPsec tunnels). Amazon EMR can be configured to access on-premises data through a VPC endpoint or by mounting on-premises storage via AWS Storage Gateway, while intermediate results stored in Amazon S3 remain within the AWS region. A real-world scenario might involve using Amazon EMR with Kerberos authentication to integrate with on-premises Active Directory, ensuring secure data processing without moving sensitive data off-premises.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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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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: Hybrid cloud — Option C is correct because the scenario describes a hybrid cloud deployment model, where the company maintains on-premises infrastructure for regulatory compliance (keeping customer transaction data on-premises) while leveraging AWS public cloud services (Amazon EMR and Amazon S3) for analytics workloads. The requirement to connect the on-premises network to AWS securely and extend the on-premises environment into the AWS Cloud is a defining characteristic of hybrid cloud, often implemented using AWS Direct Connect or VPN connections to create a unified network.
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". 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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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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