- A
AWS Artifact
AWS Artifact is the correct service. It is a self-service portal for on-demand access to AWS compliance reports and agreements, such as SOC reports and PCI DSS Attestations of Compliance.
- B
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations and tracks compliance against rules, but it does not provide downloadable AWS compliance reports like SOC or PCI DSS AOC.
- C
AWS Audit Manager
Why wrong: AWS Audit Manager helps continuously audit AWS usage to simplify risk assessment and compliance. It assists in collecting evidence from customer workloads, but it does not provide the underlying AWS compliance reports.
- D
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor provides recommendations for optimizing cost, performance, security, and fault tolerance, but it does not provide compliance reports or attestations from AWS.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 payment processing application on AWS that must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). An external auditor requests a copy of the AWS SOC 2 report and the PCI DSS Attestation of Compliance (AOC) to verify the security controls of the underlying AWS infrastructure. The company needs to obtain these documents directly from AWS. 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
AWS Artifact
AWS Artifact is the correct service because it provides on-demand access to AWS compliance reports, including SOC 2 reports and PCI DSS Attestations of Compliance (AOC). These documents are published directly by AWS and can be downloaded from the AWS Artifact console without needing to contact AWS support, meeting the auditor's requirement for direct retrieval.
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.
- ✓
AWS Artifact
Why this is correct
AWS Artifact is the correct service. It is a self-service portal for on-demand access to AWS compliance reports and agreements, such as SOC reports and PCI DSS Attestations of Compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations and tracks compliance against rules, but it does not provide downloadable AWS compliance reports like SOC or PCI DSS AOC.
When this WOULD be correct
AWS Config would be correct in a scenario where a company needs to continuously monitor and record AWS resource configurations to demonstrate compliance with internal policies or regulatory standards, such as automatically checking that security groups do not allow unrestricted SSH access.
- ✗
AWS Audit Manager
Why it's wrong here
AWS Audit Manager helps continuously audit AWS usage to simplify risk assessment and compliance. It assists in collecting evidence from customer workloads, but it does not provide the underlying AWS compliance reports.
When this WOULD be correct
AWS Audit Manager would be correct if the question asked for a service to continuously audit AWS resource usage against PCI DSS requirements, automate evidence collection, and generate audit reports for internal compliance teams, rather than requesting pre-existing AWS compliance reports.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor provides recommendations for optimizing cost, performance, security, and fault tolerance, but it does not provide compliance reports or attestations from AWS.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to check its AWS account against AWS best practices for security and cost optimization, such as identifying unused resources or open security groups. AWS Trusted Advisor would be the correct service to use.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The CLF-C02 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓AWS ArtifactCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
AWS Artifact is the correct service. It is a self-service portal for on-demand access to AWS compliance reports and agreements, such as SOC reports and PCI DSS Attestations of Compliance.
✗AWS ConfigWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Config is a service for assessing, auditing, and evaluating configurations of AWS resources, not for providing compliance reports like SOC 2 or PCI DSS AOC. The question specifically asks for obtaining these documents directly from AWS, which is the function of AWS Artifact.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
AWS Config would be correct in a scenario where a company needs to continuously monitor and record AWS resource configurations to demonstrate compliance with internal policies or regulatory standards, such as automatically checking that security groups do not allow unrestricted SSH access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse AWS Config's compliance evaluation capabilities with the ability to provide formal compliance reports, or they may think that 'audit' implies obtaining audit documents.
✗AWS Audit ManagerWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Audit Manager helps audit evidence collection and report generation, but it does not provide direct access to AWS compliance reports like SOC 2 or PCI DSS AOC. The question specifically asks for obtaining these documents directly from AWS, which is the function of AWS Artifact.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
AWS Audit Manager would be correct if the question asked for a service to continuously audit AWS resource usage against PCI DSS requirements, automate evidence collection, and generate audit reports for internal compliance teams, rather than requesting pre-existing AWS compliance reports.
Why candidates choose this
The name 'Audit Manager' suggests it manages audits and compliance, leading candidates to think it provides compliance documents, but it actually helps with internal auditing, not distributing AWS's own compliance reports.
✗AWS Trusted AdvisorWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor provides recommendations for cost optimization, performance, security, and fault tolerance, but it does not provide compliance reports like SOC 2 or PCI DSS AOC.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to check its AWS account against AWS best practices for security and cost optimization, such as identifying unused resources or open security groups. AWS Trusted Advisor would be the correct service to use.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think Trusted Advisor covers security and compliance checks, and mistakenly believe it can generate compliance reports, not realizing it only offers advisory checks.
Analysis generated from the official CLF-C02blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse AWS Artifact with AWS Audit Manager, mistakenly thinking Audit Manager provides the same compliance documents, when in fact Audit Manager is for creating custom audit frameworks, not for retrieving AWS's own published reports.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Artifact operates as a self-service portal that provides access to over 2,500 compliance documents, including ISO certifications, SOC reports, and PCI DSS AOCs. The documents are digitally signed and include the AWS SOC 2 Type II report, which covers controls over a minimum six-month period, and the PCI DSS AOC, which validates AWS's compliance as a Level 1 service provider. Users can also manage agreements like the Business Associate Addendum (BAA) directly through Artifact.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Artifact — AWS Artifact is the correct service because it provides on-demand access to AWS compliance reports, including SOC 2 reports and PCI DSS Attestations of Compliance (AOC). These documents are published directly by AWS and can be downloaded from the AWS Artifact console without needing to contact AWS support, meeting the auditor's requirement for direct retrieval.
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
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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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