- A
Launch the maximum number of instances before Black Friday and keep them running year-round
Why wrong: Pre-launching maximum instances eliminates over-provisioning costs but doesn't provide automatic scaling — and wastes money running unused capacity 50+ weeks per year.
- B
EC2 Auto Scaling + Application Load Balancer with CloudWatch scaling policies
Auto Scaling dynamically adds EC2 instances as demand rises and removes them as it falls. ALB distributes traffic evenly. CloudWatch metrics trigger scaling policies — the canonical elastic scaling architecture.
- C
Increase the EC2 instance size to the largest available type
Why wrong: Vertical scaling (larger instance) has a maximum ceiling and provides no elasticity — if traffic exceeds a single instance capacity, the application fails.
- D
Use AWS Snowball to temporarily add compute capacity
Why wrong: Snowball is a physical data transfer device — it has no role in elastic compute scaling for web applications.
Quick Answer
The answer is EC2 Auto Scaling combined with an Application Load Balancer and CloudWatch scaling policies. This solution is correct because Auto Scaling dynamically adjusts the number of EC2 instances to match demand, while the Application Load Balancer evenly distributes incoming traffic across those instances, preventing any single server from being overwhelmed. CloudWatch scaling policies monitor real-time metrics like CPU utilization or request count, automatically triggering scale-out actions when traffic spikes, such as the 10x Black Friday surge, and scale-in actions when demand drops. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of elasticity and high availability—a common trap is choosing only a Load Balancer or only Auto Scaling, but both are required together. Remember the memory tip: “Auto Scaling adds the seats, the Load Balancer shows customers to them, and CloudWatch decides when to open more doors.”
CLF-C02 Cloud Technology and Services Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 retail company expects 10x normal traffic during Black Friday. They want to ensure their application can handle this peak load automatically. Which AWS services should they configure to handle this requirement?
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
EC2 Auto Scaling + Application Load Balancer with CloudWatch scaling policies
EC2 Auto Scaling automatically adjusts the number of EC2 instances based on demand, and an Application Load Balancer distributes incoming traffic across those instances. CloudWatch scaling policies monitor metrics like CPU utilization or request count to trigger scaling actions, ensuring the application can handle the 10x traffic spike without manual intervention.
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.
- ✗
Launch the maximum number of instances before Black Friday and keep them running year-round
Why it's wrong here
Pre-launching maximum instances eliminates over-provisioning costs but doesn't provide automatic scaling — and wastes money running unused capacity 50+ weeks per year.
- ✓
EC2 Auto Scaling + Application Load Balancer with CloudWatch scaling policies
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling dynamically adds EC2 instances as demand rises and removes them as it falls. ALB distributes traffic evenly. CloudWatch metrics trigger scaling policies — the canonical elastic scaling architecture.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the EC2 instance size to the largest available type
Why it's wrong here
Vertical scaling (larger instance) has a maximum ceiling and provides no elasticity — if traffic exceeds a single instance capacity, the application fails.
- ✗
Use AWS Snowball to temporarily add compute capacity
Why it's wrong here
Snowball is a physical data transfer device — it has no role in elastic compute scaling for web applications.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
AWS often tests the misconception that vertical scaling (increasing instance size) is sufficient for handling traffic spikes, but the exam emphasizes horizontal scaling with Auto Scaling and load balancers as the correct approach for elasticity and high availability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
EC2 Auto Scaling uses launch templates or configurations to define instance specifications and integrates with CloudWatch alarms to execute scaling policies, such as step scaling or target tracking. The Application Load Balancer operates at Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS) and can route traffic based on path, host, or query string, enabling advanced traffic distribution. In a real-world Black Friday scenario, you might combine predictive scaling with scheduled scaling to pre-warm instances before the expected traffic surge, ensuring zero latency during the ramp-up.
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 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: EC2 Auto Scaling + Application Load Balancer with CloudWatch scaling policies — EC2 Auto Scaling automatically adjusts the number of EC2 instances based on demand, and an Application Load Balancer distributes incoming traffic across those instances. CloudWatch scaling policies monitor metrics like CPU utilization or request count to trigger scaling actions, ensuring the application can handle the 10x traffic spike without manual intervention.
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 30, 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.