- A
Set the log group retention policy to 2557 days (7 years).
Correct: Retention policy can be set to a specific number of days.
- B
Export logs to Amazon S3 and enable S3 Object Lock with a retention period of 7 years.
Correct: Export to S3 and use Object Lock for immutability.
- C
Create a new log group and specify the KMS key ID in the CloudWatch Logs console or API.
Correct: KMS encryption can be enabled at log group creation.
- D
Modify the existing log group to use the KMS key by updating the log group settings.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Encryption cannot be changed on an existing log group; must recreate.
- E
Set the log group retention policy to 'Never expire' and use lifecycle policies to transition logs to Amazon S3 Glacier after 30 days.
Why wrong: Incorrect: CloudWatch Logs does not support direct lifecycle to Glacier.
DOP-C02 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. 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 uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to store logs from multiple applications. The security team requires that logs are encrypted at rest using a customer-managed KMS key. Additionally, logs must be retained for 7 years for compliance. Which THREE steps should the DevOps engineer take to meet these requirements? (Choose THREE.)
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
Set the log group retention policy to 2557 days (7 years).
Option A is correct because CloudWatch Logs log group retention policies accept values in days, and 7 years equals 2557 days (7 × 365.25, accounting for leap years). Setting this retention policy ensures logs are automatically deleted after the compliance period, meeting the 7-year retention requirement 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.
- ✓
Set the log group retention policy to 2557 days (7 years).
Why this is correct
Correct: Retention policy can be set to a specific number of days.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Export logs to Amazon S3 and enable S3 Object Lock with a retention period of 7 years.
Why this is correct
Correct: Export to S3 and use Object Lock for immutability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create a new log group and specify the KMS key ID in the CloudWatch Logs console or API.
Why this is correct
Correct: KMS encryption can be enabled at log group creation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Modify the existing log group to use the KMS key by updating the log group settings.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Encryption cannot be changed on an existing log group; must recreate.
- ✗
Set the log group retention policy to 'Never expire' and use lifecycle policies to transition logs to Amazon S3 Glacier after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: CloudWatch Logs does not support direct lifecycle to Glacier.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think they can update an existing log group to use a KMS key (Option D), but CloudWatch Logs does not support modifying the encryption key after creation—the key must be set at creation time, and any attempt to change it requires creating a new log group and migrating data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch Logs encrypts log data at rest using either an AWS managed key or a customer-managed KMS key, but the KMS key must be specified at log group creation time via the `kmsKeyId` parameter in the CreateLogGroup API call. The retention policy is set in days, and the maximum value is 3653 days (10 years), so 2557 days is valid. Under the hood, CloudWatch Logs uses the KMS key to encrypt log events as they are ingested, and the retention policy triggers automatic deletion of log streams and events after the specified period, which is enforced by a background process that checks expiration timestamps.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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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Monitoring and Logging — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the log group retention policy to 2557 days (7 years). — Option A is correct because CloudWatch Logs log group retention policies accept values in days, and 7 years equals 2557 days (7 × 365.25, accounting for leap years). Setting this retention policy ensures logs are automatically deleted after the compliance period, meeting the 7-year retention requirement without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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