The answer is a region mismatch between the ACM certificate and the Application Load Balancer. ACM certificates are region-specific resources, meaning a certificate created in one AWS region cannot be used by an ALB in a different region. When you associate a mismatched certificate with the ALB’s HTTPS listener, the load balancer cannot validate or serve that certificate, so it falls back to its default self-signed certificate or no valid certificate at all, causing the browser to warn that the connection is not secure. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of ACM’s regional boundaries and how they interact with ALB listeners—a common trap is assuming certificates are globally available like IAM SSL certificates. To remember this, think “certificate and ALB must be region-siblings” or use the mnemonic “CARE: Certificate and ALB Region Equal.”
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 developer is deploying a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application uses HTTPS. The developer creates a certificate in AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) and associates it with the ALB listener on port 443. However, when users access the application, they receive a browser warning that the connection is not secure. The ALB is configured with a default SSL/TLS policy. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The certificate is in a different region than the ALB.
ACM certificates are region-specific. If the certificate is created in a different AWS region than the ALB, the ALB cannot use it, causing the browser to warn that the connection is not secure. The ALB will fall back to its default self-signed certificate or no valid certificate, triggering the browser warning.
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.
✓
The certificate is in a different region than the ALB.
Why this is correct
ACM certificates must be in the same region as the ALB.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The certificate was not imported correctly into ACM.
Why it's wrong here
If it was issued by ACM, it is automatically trusted.
✗
The ALB is using an outdated SSL/TLS policy.
Why it's wrong here
The default policy is secure enough; it would not cause a browser warning.
✗
The ALB cannot terminate HTTPS; the developer must configure HTTPS on the EC2 instances.
Why it's wrong here
ALB can terminate HTTPS and forward HTTP to instances.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume ACM certificates are globally available, but they are region-specific, and the ALB must reference a certificate in the same region.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACM certificates are tied to a specific AWS region and cannot be used across regions. When associating a certificate with an ALB listener, the certificate must reside in the same region as the ALB. If the certificate is in a different region, the ALB will not find it and will either fail to start the listener or use a default untrusted certificate, causing the browser to flag the connection as insecure. This is a common pitfall when deploying infrastructure across multiple regions.
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.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The certificate is in a different region than the ALB. — ACM certificates are region-specific. If the certificate is created in a different AWS region than the ALB, the ALB cannot use it, causing the browser to warn that the connection is not secure. The ALB will fall back to its default self-signed certificate or no valid certificate, triggering the browser warning.
What should I do if I get this DVA-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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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