- A
Application Load Balancer
Correct. Application Load Balancer (ALB) is a Layer 7 load balancer that can route traffic based on URL path, host header, and other request attributes. It also offloads SSL/TLS and performs health checks.
- B
Network Load Balancer
Why wrong: Incorrect. Network Load Balancer (NLB) operates at Layer 4 and routes traffic based on TCP/UDP protocol and port numbers. It cannot inspect HTTP request content like URL paths.
- C
Classic Load Balancer
Why wrong: Incorrect. Classic Load Balancer is a legacy Elastic Load Balancer that operates at both Layer 4 and basic Layer 7, but it does not support sophisticated path-based routing. It also lacks many modern features and is not recommended for new applications.
- D
AWS CloudFront
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) that accelerates content delivery and can cache responses at edge locations. While it can be placed in front of a load balancer, it is not a load balancer itself and cannot route traffic to EC2 instances based on URL paths.
Quick Answer
The answer is the Application Load Balancer. This is correct because the ALB operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, allowing it to inspect HTTP/HTTPS headers and route traffic based on URL path patterns like /images or /api, while also natively supporting SSL/TLS termination and performing health checks on target instances. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of load balancer types and their OSI layers—a common trap is confusing the ALB with the Network Load Balancer, which only handles Layer 4 traffic and cannot inspect URL paths. Remember that any time you see path-based routing, content-based routing, or host-based routing in the scenario, the ALB is the automatic choice. A helpful memory tip: ALB = Application = Advanced Layer 7 routing, while NLB = Network = basic Layer 4 forwarding.
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 runs a multi-tier web application on Amazon EC2 instances across multiple Availability Zones. The application has separate backend services for serving images and handling API requests, each running on different sets of EC2 instances. The company needs a load balancer that can inspect incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests and route them to the correct target group based on the URL path (e.g., /images to one group, /api to another). The solution must also offload SSL/TLS termination and perform health checks on the instances. Which AWS service should the company use?
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
Application Load Balancer
The Application Load Balancer (ALB) operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, allowing it to inspect HTTP/HTTPS headers and route traffic based on URL path patterns (e.g., /images vs /api). It natively supports SSL/TLS termination and can perform health checks on target instances, making it the correct choice for this multi-tier web application.
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.
- ✓
Application Load Balancer
Why this is correct
Correct. Application Load Balancer (ALB) is a Layer 7 load balancer that can route traffic based on URL path, host header, and other request attributes. It also offloads SSL/TLS and performs health checks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Network Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Network Load Balancer (NLB) operates at Layer 4 and routes traffic based on TCP/UDP protocol and port numbers. It cannot inspect HTTP request content like URL paths.
- ✗
Classic Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Classic Load Balancer is a legacy Elastic Load Balancer that operates at both Layer 4 and basic Layer 7, but it does not support sophisticated path-based routing. It also lacks many modern features and is not recommended for new applications.
- ✗
AWS CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) that accelerates content delivery and can cache responses at edge locations. While it can be placed in front of a load balancer, it is not a load balancer itself and cannot route traffic to EC2 instances based on URL paths.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Network Load Balancer's ability to handle high throughput with the need for Layer 7 routing, forgetting that NLB cannot inspect URL paths, or they mistakenly think CloudFront can perform path-based routing to multiple origins without an ALB.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the ALB uses listener rules that evaluate conditions such as path patterns (e.g., /images/*) and host headers, then forwards matching requests to the appropriate target group. Health checks are performed via HTTP/HTTPS on a configurable path (e.g., /health), and SSL termination uses AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) or uploaded certificates, offloading encryption from backend instances. In a real-world scenario, this allows separate scaling policies for image servers and API servers, optimizing resource utilization.
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.
- →
Cloud Technology and Services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Cloud Technology and Services practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All CLF-C02 questions
1,024 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
CLF-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related CLF-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Cloud Concepts practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Cloud Concepts.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Cloud Technology and Services practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Cloud Technology and Services.
Billing, Pricing, and Support practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Billing, Pricing, and Support.
AWS shared responsibility model practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS shared responsibility model.
AWS IAM practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS IAM.
AWS pricing practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS pricing.
AWS support plans practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS support plans.
AWS S3 practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS S3.
AWS EC2 practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS EC2.
Practice this exam
Start a free CLF-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
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: Application Load Balancer — The Application Load Balancer (ALB) operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, allowing it to inspect HTTP/HTTPS headers and route traffic based on URL path patterns (e.g., /images vs /api). It natively supports SSL/TLS termination and can perform health checks on target instances, making it the correct choice for this multi-tier web application.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More CLF-C02 practice questions
- A company publishes a message each time a new product is added to its catalogue. Three services need to receive this mes…
- A media company stores frequently accessed video thumbnails in Amazon S3. The thumbnails are read multiple times every d…
- A company needs a service to translate domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses, check the health of their…
- A startup runs an application on AWS and receives a monthly bill that charges exactly for the number of compute hours us…
- A financial institution runs its core banking application on-premises due to regulatory requirements. It has connected i…
- A company wants to run a MySQL database in AWS without managing database software installation, applying patches, settin…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.