The correct first action is to review the instance’s system log and application logs in CloudWatch Logs. This is because the EC2 StatusCheckFailed metric indicates a problem at the instance or system level—such as OS crashes, memory exhaustion, or kernel issues—rather than a network or hardware failure, and examining these logs directly reveals the root cause. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between diagnostic actions and reactive fixes; a common trap is choosing to restart the instance, which may temporarily clear the alarm but bypasses investigation, or selecting CloudTrail, which only records API calls and not OS-level events. To remember this, think: “StatusCheckFailed means look inside the OS, not outside—logs first, restart last.”
DOP-C02 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. 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 DevOps engineer receives an alarm that an EC2 instance's StatusCheckFailed metric has been in ALARM state for 10 minutes. Which action should the engineer take first to investigate?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the instance's system log and application logs in CloudWatch Logs
Option C is correct because StatusCheckFailed indicates an instance issue; reviewing system logs in CloudWatch Logs can reveal the cause. Option A (restart) might resolve temporarily but does not diagnose. Option B (CloudTrail) logs API calls, not OS-level issues. Option D (Config) is for configuration compliance.
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.
✓
Review the instance's system log and application logs in CloudWatch Logs
Why this is correct
Correct. System logs help diagnose instance status check failures.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS Config to check the instance's configuration compliance
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Config checks resource configurations, not operational health.
✗
Check AWS CloudTrail for any API calls that modified the instance
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. CloudTrail does not contain OS-level logs.
✗
Restart the EC2 instance to clear the alarm
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Restarting may not fix the root cause and does not provide investigation.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Review the instance's system log and application logs in CloudWatch Logs — Option C is correct because StatusCheckFailed indicates an instance issue; reviewing system logs in CloudWatch Logs can reveal the cause. Option A (restart) might resolve temporarily but does not diagnose. Option B (CloudTrail) logs API calls, not OS-level issues. Option D (Config) is for configuration compliance.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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