← CLF-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 73 of 1,024

Cloud Technology and Services →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is AWS Batch, the correct choice for this stateless, parallelizable job that runs only once a month. AWS Batch is purpose-built for batch processing jobs that need to minimize overhead, as it automatically provisions and scales compute resources—using either EC2 or Fargate—to match the workload, and you pay only for the compute time consumed. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of which service fits a scheduled, short-duration, parallel workload versus always-on services like EC2 or serverless functions like Lambda, which has a 15-minute execution limit. A common trap is choosing Lambda for its low overhead, but it cannot handle a 2-hour job. Remember the memory tip: “Batch for batch, Lambda for quick splashes”—if the job is stateless, parallel, and runs on a schedule, AWS Batch is the service that handles the heavy lifting with minimal fuss.

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 needs to run a data processing job that typically takes 2 hours to complete. The job is stateless and can be parallelized across multiple workers. The company wants to minimize operational overhead and only pay for the compute time consumed. The job runs only once a month. Which AWS compute service should the company use?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
AWS Lambda
Why wrong: AWS Lambda has a maximum execution timeout of 15 minutes (900 seconds). A job that takes 2 hours cannot run on Lambda, so this option is invalid.
B
Amazon EC2 Spot Instances
Why wrong: While Spot Instances can be cost-effective, using EC2 directly to run a batch job requires the company to manage instance provisioning, Auto Scaling, monitoring, and job scheduling. This results in significantly higher operational overhead compared to using a fully managed service like AWS Batch.
C
AWS Fargate
Why wrong: AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers that removes the need to manage underlying servers. However, it does not include built-in job scheduling, queue management, or automatic scaling for batch jobs. To run a batch workload on Fargate, the company would need to set up an orchestrator (e.g., Amazon ECS with custom scheduling) and handle job dependencies, increasing complexity vs. AWS Batch.
D
AWS Batch
AWS Batch is purpose-built for batch computing. It automatically provisions the required compute resources (including Spot Instances) based on job requirements, manages job queues, retries, and dependencies. The company pays only for the underlying compute resources consumed. This combination of minimal operational overhead and pay-per-use pricing makes AWS Batch the best fit for this scenario.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 Batch

AWS Batch is the correct choice because it is designed for running batch computing workloads that are stateless, parallelizable, and can run on a schedule. It automatically provisions and manages the underlying compute resources (EC2 or Fargate), scales to the required number of workers, and only charges for the compute time consumed. The 2-hour, once-a-month job fits perfectly within AWS Batch's capabilities, and it minimizes operational overhead by handling job queuing, retries, and dependency management.

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 Lambda
Why it's wrong here
AWS Lambda has a maximum execution timeout of 15 minutes (900 seconds). A job that takes 2 hours cannot run on Lambda, so this option is invalid.
✗
Amazon EC2 Spot Instances
Why it's wrong here
While Spot Instances can be cost-effective, using EC2 directly to run a batch job requires the company to manage instance provisioning, Auto Scaling, monitoring, and job scheduling. This results in significantly higher operational overhead compared to using a fully managed service like AWS Batch.
✗
AWS Fargate
Why it's wrong here
AWS Fargate is a serverless compute engine for containers that removes the need to manage underlying servers. However, it does not include built-in job scheduling, queue management, or automatic scaling for batch jobs. To run a batch workload on Fargate, the company would need to set up an orchestrator (e.g., Amazon ECS with custom scheduling) and handle job dependencies, increasing complexity vs. AWS Batch.
✓
AWS Batch
Why this is correct
AWS Batch is purpose-built for batch computing. It automatically provisions the required compute resources (including Spot Instances) based on job requirements, manages job queues, retries, and dependencies. The company pays only for the underlying compute resources consumed. This combination of minimal operational overhead and pay-per-use pricing makes AWS Batch the best fit for this scenario.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often choose AWS Lambda for any serverless or 'pay-per-use' scenario, forgetting its hard 15-minute timeout limit, or they pick Fargate thinking it handles batch jobs natively, when in fact AWS Batch is the dedicated service for batch computing with built-in scheduling and scaling.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

AWS Batch uses job queues and job definitions to manage execution, and it can automatically launch and terminate EC2 Spot or On-Demand instances based on job requirements. It integrates with Amazon CloudWatch Events to schedule jobs, and it supports array jobs for parallel processing, where each child job runs independently. Under the hood, AWS Batch uses the Amazon ECS agent to run containers, but it abstracts away cluster management, making it ideal for sporadic, long-running batch workloads.

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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.

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?

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: AWS Batch — AWS Batch is the correct choice because it is designed for running batch computing workloads that are stateless, parallelizable, and can run on a schedule. It automatically provisions and manages the underlying compute resources (EC2 or Fargate), scales to the required number of workers, and only charges for the compute time consumed. The 2-hour, once-a-month job fits perfectly within AWS Batch's capabilities, and it minimizes operational overhead by handling job queuing, retries, and dependency management.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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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.