- A
Public cloud
Why wrong: A public cloud deployment model involves IT resources delivered over the internet and shared with other organizations. It does not include on-premises infrastructure, so it fails to satisfy the data residency requirement of keeping customer data on-premises.
- B
Private cloud
Why wrong: A private cloud is used exclusively by a single organization and can be hosted on-premises or by a third-party provider. While it satisfies data residency, it does not allow the organization to leverage AWS's public cloud for burst capacity, nor does it describe a mixed environment.
- C
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud deployment connects on-premises infrastructure (private cloud) with public cloud services (like AWS) using a secure network connection. This model enables the organization to keep sensitive data on-premises while using AWS for scalable compute capacity during peak demand, meeting both the data residency requirement and the need for burst capacity.
- D
Community cloud
Why wrong: A community cloud is shared by several organizations with common compliance or security concerns, such as government agencies or healthcare providers. It does not specifically address the combination of on-premises and public cloud resources described in this scenario.
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 company has a strict data residency policy that requires all customer data to remain stored on-premises at all times. However, the company experiences unpredictable spikes in compute demand and wants to use an AWS cloud environment to handle this additional workload during peak periods. The company needs a solution that allows them to seamlessly run applications across their on-premises infrastructure and AWS, using consistent management tools and APIs. The company also needs a dedicated, private network connection between the two environments for low latency and security. Which cloud deployment model best describes this architecture?
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 architecture described combines on-premises infrastructure with AWS cloud resources, connected via a dedicated private network (likely AWS Direct Connect or VPN), while using consistent management tools and APIs. This is the defining characteristic of a hybrid cloud model, which enables workload portability and unified operations across both environments.
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 model involves IT resources delivered over the internet and shared with other organizations. It does not include on-premises infrastructure, so it fails to satisfy the data residency requirement of keeping customer data on-premises.
- ✗
Private cloud
Why it's wrong here
A private cloud is used exclusively by a single organization and can be hosted on-premises or by a third-party provider. While it satisfies data residency, it does not allow the organization to leverage AWS's public cloud for burst capacity, nor does it describe a mixed environment.
- ✓
Hybrid cloud
Why this is correct
A hybrid cloud deployment connects on-premises infrastructure (private cloud) with public cloud services (like AWS) using a secure network connection. This model enables the organization to keep sensitive data on-premises while using AWS for scalable compute capacity during peak demand, meeting both the data residency requirement and the need for burst capacity.
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 common compliance or security concerns, such as government agencies or healthcare providers. It does not specifically address the combination of on-premises and public cloud resources described in this scenario.
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, overlooking the critical requirement for a dedicated private connection and on-premises data residency, which hybrid cloud uniquely satisfies.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
A community cloud is shared by several organizations with common compliance or security concerns, such as government agencies or healthcare providers. It does not specifically address the combination of on-premises and public cloud resources described in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Hybrid cloud architectures often leverage AWS Direct Connect to establish a dedicated, low-latency, private network connection between on-premises and AWS, bypassing the public internet. This setup supports consistent APIs via AWS services like AWS Outposts or AWS Storage Gateway, enabling seamless application deployment and management across both environments while meeting data residency constraints.
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.
- →
Cloud Concepts — study guide chapter
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CLF-C02 practice test guide
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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 architecture described combines on-premises infrastructure with AWS cloud resources, connected via a dedicated private network (likely AWS Direct Connect or VPN), while using consistent management tools and APIs. This is the defining characteristic of a hybrid cloud model, which enables workload portability and unified operations across both environments.
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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