Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudTrail, as it is the dedicated service for auditing AWS API calls by recording every action taken via the AWS Management Console, SDKs, CLI, or other services. CloudTrail captures a detailed event history—including who made the call, when, from which IP address, and what resources were affected—which is essential for compliance and security investigations. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish between monitoring services: a common trap is confusing CloudTrail with CloudWatch Logs (which stores log data but does not record API calls) or AWS Config (which tracks configuration changes, not API activity). GuardDuty, meanwhile, focuses on threat detection rather than auditing. Remember the mnemonic “Trail tracks the trail of API calls” to keep CloudTrail’s core function clear.
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An organization needs to audit all AWS API calls made in their account for compliance purposes. Which AWS service should they enable?
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs can store logs but does not record API calls.
AWS Config
Why wrong: Tracks resource configuration, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Records API calls for auditing.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Threat detection, not audit logging.
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 CloudTrail
Option D is correct because AWS CloudTrail records API activity. Option A is wrong because CloudWatch Logs stores logs but does not record API calls. Option B is wrong because AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes, not API calls. Option C is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service.
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.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs can store logs but does not record API calls.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Tracks resource configuration, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
Records API calls for auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Threat detection, not audit logging.
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 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
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.
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail — Option D is correct because AWS CloudTrail records API activity. Option A is wrong because CloudWatch Logs stores logs but does not record API calls. Option B is wrong because AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes, not API calls. Option C is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to ensure that all API calls made within its AWS account are logged for auditing purposes. Which AWS service should be enabled to meet this requirement?
easyWhy B: AWS CloudTrail is the service that records API activity in an AWS account, making it the correct choice. Option B is incorrect because CloudWatch Logs is for log storage and monitoring, not for recording API calls. Option C is incorrect because AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes, not API calls. Option D is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not API calls.
Variation 2. A DevOps engineer must ensure that all API calls in an AWS account are logged for compliance. The logs should be stored in an S3 bucket with server-side encryption enabled. Which two services should be used together to meet these requirements?
easyWhy B: Option C is correct because AWS CloudTrail logs API calls and can deliver logs to an S3 bucket. S3 server-side encryption can be enabled on the bucket. Option A: Config records resource changes, not API calls. Option B: CloudWatch Logs can store logs but not automatically encrypt; also not the primary service for API logging. Option D: VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not API calls.
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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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