CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
A startup wants to deploy a simple web application without managing any servers. The application must automatically scale based on incoming traffic and only incur costs when requests are processed. Which AWS service should the startup use?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse serverless container services like Amazon ECS with Fargate as fully serverless, but they still require container management and do not scale to zero by default.
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
✓
AWS Lambda
AWS Lambda is a fully managed, serverless compute service that runs code in response to events and automatically scales. The startup does not need to manage any servers, and they are billed only for the compute time their code consumes. When combined with Amazon API Gateway, Lambda can host a simple web application that scales automatically with traffic and incurs no cost when idle, perfectly matching the requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon ECS with Fargate
Why it's wrong here
Amazon ECS with Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers, but it still requires the startup to build and manage container images and task definitions. While it removes server management, it does not automatically scale to zero and may incur costs for running tasks even without traffic, making it less cost-effective for a simple web application with sporadic requests.
- ✗
AWS Elastic Beanstalk
Why it's wrong here
AWS Elastic Beanstalk is a platform as a service (PaaS) that automates deployment and scaling of applications, but it still provisions underlying EC2 instances or other resources that the startup must manage to some extent. It does not provide a pure serverless model, and costs are incurred for the running environment even when no requests are being handled.
- ✓
AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that runs code in response to events and automatically scales. The startup does not need to provision or manage servers, and they pay only for the compute time consumed. Lambda is ideal for simple web applications when integrated with Amazon API Gateway, and it meets the requirement of scaling automatically and charging only when requests are processed.
- ✗
Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling
Why it's wrong here
Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling automatically adjusts the number of EC2 instances based on demand, but it still requires the startup to manage the underlying servers, including patching and configuration. It does not provide a serverless experience, and costs are incurred for running instances even when no requests are being processed, making it unsuitable for the stated requirements.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.