The answer is Amazon API Gateway, as it provides a fully managed API proxy with built-in caching and direct CloudFront integration. When you enable API caching with API Gateway and CloudFront, the API Gateway caches responses at the regional endpoint level, while CloudFront distributes those cached responses globally from edge locations, dramatically reducing latency for end users. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how managed services combine to solve performance problems—specifically, that API Gateway handles the API proxy and caching logic, while CloudFront handles global content delivery. A common trap is choosing CloudFront alone, but CloudFront cannot cache API responses without an origin like API Gateway that supports caching headers and proxy behavior. Remember the memory tip: API Gateway caches the answer, CloudFront delivers it faster.
CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. 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 wants to improve the performance of their global application by caching API responses closer to end users. Which AWS service provides an API proxy with built-in caching and CloudFront integration?
Why wrong: CloudFront can cache API responses but lacks the API management features (throttling, authentication, transformation) that API Gateway provides.
B
Elastic Load Balancing
Why wrong: ELB distributes traffic to backend targets — it doesn't provide API management features or built-in response caching.
C
Amazon API Gateway
API Gateway is a fully managed API service with built-in caching, throttling, authentication, and native CloudFront integration for global edge distribution.
D
AWS AppSync
Why wrong: AppSync is a managed GraphQL service — it provides caching for GraphQL APIs but API Gateway is the general-purpose REST/HTTP API solution.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Amazon API Gateway
Amazon API Gateway is correct because it provides a fully managed API proxy that can cache responses at the API endpoint level, reducing latency and backend load. It also natively integrates with Amazon CloudFront, allowing cached API responses to be distributed globally via CloudFront's edge locations for even lower latency.
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.
✗
Amazon CloudFront alone
Why it's wrong here
CloudFront can cache API responses but lacks the API management features (throttling, authentication, transformation) that API Gateway provides.
✗
Elastic Load Balancing
Why it's wrong here
ELB distributes traffic to backend targets — it doesn't provide API management features or built-in response caching.
✓
Amazon API Gateway
Why this is correct
API Gateway is a fully managed API service with built-in caching, throttling, authentication, and native CloudFront integration for global edge distribution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS AppSync
Why it's wrong here
AppSync is a managed GraphQL service — it provides caching for GraphQL APIs but API Gateway is the general-purpose REST/HTTP API solution.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume CloudFront alone provides API proxy capabilities, but CloudFront is a CDN and lacks the API management features (e.g., request validation, throttling, caching at the API level) that API Gateway offers.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, API Gateway's caching is implemented using a dedicated cache cluster (e.g., 0.5 GB to 237 GB) that stores responses based on the API key and request parameters, with TTL values configurable from 0 to 3600 seconds. When integrated with CloudFront, the API Gateway endpoint acts as a custom origin, and CloudFront can cache responses at its edge locations using its own TTL settings, creating a two-tier caching strategy that reduces origin load and improves global performance.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CLF-C02 question in full detail.
Cloud Technology and Services — This question tests Cloud Technology and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon API Gateway — Amazon API Gateway is correct because it provides a fully managed API proxy that can cache responses at the API endpoint level, reducing latency and backend load. It also natively integrates with Amazon CloudFront, allowing cached API responses to be distributed globally via CloudFront's edge locations for even lower latency.
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.
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Question Discussion
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