Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company is developing a REST API that processes customer orders. The API receives JSON payloads via HTTPS and performs short-lived operations, such as data validation, transformation, and writing to a database. The workload is very unpredictable: sometimes there are long periods of inactivity, but during flash sales the API may receive thousands of requests per second for a few minutes. The company wants a fully managed compute service that automatically scales to handle any request volume, charges only for the compute time used during execution, and requires no server provisioning or ongoing infrastructure management. Which AWS service should the company use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Amazon EC2 with Auto Scaling
Amazon EC2 with Auto Scaling requires provisioning and managing virtual servers. Scaling is based on metrics like CPU utilization, not per individual request. Even when idle, running instances incur charges. This does not meet the need for fully managed, per-request scaling and pay-per-use billing.
B
Best answer
AWS Lambda
AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that executes code in response to events. It automatically scales to handle any volume of requests, charging only for the compute time consumed during execution (per millisecond). No servers to provision or manage, making it ideal for unpredictable, short-lived workloads.
C
Distractor review
Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type
Amazon ECS with Fargate provides serverless container orchestration, but it still requires defining container images and task definitions. It charges for running tasks even when they are idle, and scaling is not as fine-grained per individual request. It is less cost-effective and simpler than Lambda for very short, bursty operations.
D
Distractor review
Amazon Lightsail
Amazon Lightsail offers preconfigured virtual private servers at a fixed monthly price. It does not automatically scale with request volume, and billing is not based on actual compute time used. It is not suitable for a highly variable, pay-per-use workload.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer needs to launch a test server for a new application prototype. The developer logs into the AWS Management Console, selects an Amazon EC2 instance type, configures the security group, and starts the instance. The instance is running within two minutes, and the developer did not need to submit a formal request to the company's IT procurement team or wait for approval from a cloud administrator. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario best demonstrate?
Question 2
A solutions architect is planning a new web application on AWS. The workload will include 3 Amazon EC2 instances (t3.medium) running 24/7, an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon RDS for MySQL db.t3.small database. The architect needs to estimate the monthly cost for the first year, considering different purchasing options (On-Demand, 1-year All Upfront Reserved Instance, and Compute Savings Plan). Which AWS tool should the architect use to create this estimate?
Question 3
A company's development team frequently needs temporary test environments. A developer can log into the AWS Management Console, select an Amazon EC2 instance type, configure storage, and launch the instance within minutes without any interaction with the IT infrastructure team. This capability is an example of which essential characteristic of cloud computing?
Question 4
A company's finance team needs to analyze AWS spending in detail. They require a report that includes hourly cost data for each AWS service, each individual resource (e.g., a specific EC2 instance), and any cost allocation tags applied. The team plans to export this data to an Amazon S3 bucket and then import it into a custom business intelligence (BI) analytics dashboard. Which AWS tool should the finance team use to generate this level of detailed cost data?
Question 5
A company uses AWS for its development environment. The finance team wants to set a monthly budget of $10,000. They want to receive an email notification when the actual costs reach 80% of the budget ($8,000) and again when costs exceed the budget. The team needs a managed AWS service that can automatically send these alerts without requiring custom code or third-party tools. Which AWS service should the team use?
Question 6
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce a policy that restricts SSH access (port 22) from the internet (0.0.0.0/0) in all VPCs across all accounts. The team wants to centrally define the allowed rules and automatically apply them to newly created VPCs and security groups, while also automatically remediating any existing non-compliant security groups. Which AWS service should the team use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Lambda — The requirements call for a compute service that scales automatically per request, charges only for actual compute time, and requires no server management. AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that runs code in response to events such as HTTPS requests via Amazon API Gateway. It scales instantly from zero to thousands of concurrent executions, and customers pay only for the number of requests and the duration of code execution (rounded to the nearest millisecond). This matches the described workload perfectly. In contrast, Amazon EC2 with Auto Scaling requires provisioning instances and managing scaling policies; it does not scale per individual request and incurs charges for running instances even when idle. Amazon ECS with Fargate is serverless for containers but still requires container image management and charges for running tasks; it is less efficient for very short, bursty, high-frequency operations. Amazon Lightsail offers fixed-price virtual private servers and does not provide per-request scaling or pay-per-use billing.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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