- A
The email subscription is not confirmed.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The email subscription is confirmed as verified, so this is not the issue.
- B
The metric `CPUUtilization` is not being published to CloudWatch.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The metric is being published because the CloudWatch alarm shows that values exceeded the threshold, indicating data is received.
- C
The CloudWatch alarm requires 2 consecutive evaluation periods with the metric exceeding the threshold, but the alarm is still evaluating because of insufficient data points.
Correct. The alarm requires 2 consecutive periods of data. Due to missing data points (e.g., from instances not reporting), the alarm may not have enough data to evaluate and thus remains in OK state.
- D
The SNS topic is not configured to allow CloudWatch to publish to it.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The SNS topic is configured to allow CloudWatch to publish; otherwise the alarm would show an error state.
DOP-C02 CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. 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. A key principle to apply: cloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods. 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 is responsible for monitoring an AWS environment that includes multiple EC2 instances running a web application. The engineer needs to set up a solution that sends an email alert when the average CPU utilization across all instances exceeds 80% for 10 consecutive minutes. The engineer has created a CloudWatch alarm with the metric `CPUUtilization` aggregated across all instances using the statistic `Average` and a period of 5 minutes. The alarm is set to trigger when the metric exceeds 80% for 2 consecutive periods (10 minutes). The alarm's action is configured to send a notification to an Amazon SNS topic that has an email subscription. However, the engineer is not receiving the email alerts. The engineer verified that the SNS topic exists and the email subscription is confirmed. The CloudWatch alarm shows that the metric value exceeded the threshold for 2 periods, but the alarm state is still 'OK'. What is the MOST likely reason for this?
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 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
The CloudWatch alarm requires 2 consecutive evaluation periods with the metric exceeding the threshold, but the alarm is still evaluating because of insufficient data points.
The correct answer is C because CloudWatch alarms evaluate based on the number of data points in the evaluation period. For a 'M out of N' alarm, if the metric is published every 5 minutes, after two periods there are exactly two data points. However, if there are any missing data points (e.g., due to instances not reporting), the alarm may not have sufficient data to evaluate and will remain in 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA' or 'OK'. The fact that the metric displayed exceeded the threshold does not guarantee the alarm used the correct statistic; the alarm's statistic is 'Average' across instances, which can be affected by missing or delayed data. The most likely reason is insufficient data points for evaluation, causing the alarm to stay in 'OK'.
Key principle: CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods
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 email subscription is not confirmed.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The email subscription is confirmed as verified, so this is not the issue.
- ✗
The metric `CPUUtilization` is not being published to CloudWatch.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The metric is being published because the CloudWatch alarm shows that values exceeded the threshold, indicating data is received.
- ✓
The CloudWatch alarm requires 2 consecutive evaluation periods with the metric exceeding the threshold, but the alarm is still evaluating because of insufficient data points.
Why this is correct
Correct. The alarm requires 2 consecutive periods of data. Due to missing data points (e.g., from instances not reporting), the alarm may not have enough data to evaluate and thus remains in OK state.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods
- ✗
The SNS topic is not configured to allow CloudWatch to publish to it.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The SNS topic is configured to allow CloudWatch to publish; otherwise the alarm would show an error state.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common trap is assuming that if the metric graph shows the threshold exceeded, the alarm should trigger. However, the alarm evaluates based on the number of data points as configured, not on the visual representation. Missing data points can prevent the alarm from transitioning to ALARM.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incorrect. The metric is being published because the CloudWatch alarm shows that values exceeded the threshold, indicating data is received.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods
- Insufficient Data
- Statistical Aggregate
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
CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods
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. CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods 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.
Review cloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Monitoring and Logging — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Monitoring and Logging practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DOP-C02 questions
1,750 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DOP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DOP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Configuration Management and IaC practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Configuration Management and IaC.
Resilient Cloud Solutions practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Resilient Cloud Solutions.
Monitoring and Logging practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Monitoring and Logging.
Incident and Event Response practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Incident and Event Response.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
SDLC Automation practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to SDLC Automation.
DOP-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 fundamentals.
DOP-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 scenario.
DOP-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DOP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The CloudWatch alarm requires 2 consecutive evaluation periods with the metric exceeding the threshold, but the alarm is still evaluating because of insufficient data points. — The correct answer is C because CloudWatch alarms evaluate based on the number of data points in the evaluation period. For a 'M out of N' alarm, if the metric is published every 5 minutes, after two periods there are exactly two data points. However, if there are any missing data points (e.g., due to instances not reporting), the alarm may not have sufficient data to evaluate and will remain in 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA' or 'OK'. The fact that the metric displayed exceeded the threshold does not guarantee the alarm used the correct statistic; the alarm's statistic is 'Average' across instances, which can be affected by missing or delayed data. The most likely reason is insufficient data points for evaluation, causing the alarm to stay in 'OK'.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review cloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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?
CloudWatch Alarm Evaluation Periods
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 →
Keep practising
More DOP-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS CodePipeline with a multi-branch strategy. A new feature branch triggers a pipeline that runs unit te…
- A development team uses AWS CodeBuild to compile a Java application and run unit tests. The build takes 30 minutes, but…
- A company uses AWS CodePipeline with multiple stages: Source (Amazon S3), Build (AWS CodeBuild), and Deploy (AWS CodeDep…
- A company uses AWS CodeCommit for source control. Developers frequently push large binary files (e.g., compiled JARs) to…
- A company runs a Stateful application on EC2 that requires sticky sessions. They use an ALB with duration-based stickine…
- An organization uses AWS CodePipeline to orchestrate deployments to multiple environments (dev, test, prod). Each enviro…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.