This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. 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 DevOps engineer wants to ensure that all EC2 instances launched in an AWS account automatically have a specific set of tags applied for cost allocation. Which AWS service should they use to enforce this?
AWS Service Catalog
Why wrong: Service Catalog enforces tagging on products it provisions, but not on instances launched outside.
AWS Config
AWS Config rules can evaluate and enforce tagging on all resources.
Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling
Why wrong: Auto Scaling can tag instances it launches but not enforce tagging on all instances.
AWS CloudFormation
Why wrong: CloudFormation can tag resources it creates but not enforce tagging on all instances.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Config
Option D is correct because AWS Config rules can be used to check for required tags and trigger remediation. Option A is wrong because CloudFormation is for infrastructure as code, not automatic enforcement. Option B is wrong because Service Catalog allows users to provision products but does not enforce tags on all instances. Option C is wrong because EC2 Auto Scaling does not enforce tagging across all instances.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Service Catalog
Why it's wrong here
Service Catalog enforces tagging on products it provisions, but not on instances launched outside.
AWS Config
Why this is correct
AWS Config rules can evaluate and enforce tagging on all resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling
Why it's wrong here
Auto Scaling can tag instances it launches but not enforce tagging on all instances.
AWS CloudFormation
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation can tag resources it creates but not enforce tagging on all instances.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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.
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FAQ
Configuration Management and IaC — This question tests Configuration Management and IaC — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Config — Option D is correct because AWS Config rules can be used to check for required tags and trigger remediation. Option A is wrong because CloudFormation is for infrastructure as code, not automatic enforcement. Option B is wrong because Service Catalog allows users to provision products but does not enforce tags on all instances. Option C is wrong because EC2 Auto Scaling does not enforce tagging across all instances.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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