This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. 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.
A DevOps engineer observes the CloudWatch alarm output shown in the exhibit. The alarm is in ALARM state for instance i-0abcd1234efgh5678. The engineer checks the EC2 console and sees that the instance's CPU utilization is currently 10%. What is the MOST likely explanation?
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.
The alarm is misconfigured with wrong metric
Why wrong: Metric is correct.
The threshold was set too low
Why wrong: Threshold is 90%, spike reached 100%.
The alarm has not yet evaluated enough low datapoints to change state
Alarm remains ALARM until it evaluates consecutive OK datapoints.
The CPUUtilization metric is not being emitted
Why wrong: The alarm shows a datapoint of 100.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The alarm has not yet evaluated enough low datapoints to change state
Option C is correct because the alarm is configured with EvaluationPeriods=1, meaning it requires only one high datapoint to trigger ALARM. The CPU spiked to 100% at 09:55, causing the alarm to enter ALARM state. Even though CPU utilization has since dropped to 10%, the alarm remains in ALARM until it evaluates a sufficient number of low datapoints to transition to OK. Since only one high datapoint was needed to trigger, only one low datapoint is needed to return to OK, but the alarm may not have evaluated the latest low datapoint yet, or the alarm's state transition period may not have elapsed. Option A is wrong because the metric exists and is being emitted. Option B is wrong because the threshold is set to 90%, which is appropriate. Option D is wrong because the CPUUtilization metric is being emitted, as evidenced by the spike.
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.
The alarm is misconfigured with wrong metric
Why it's wrong here
Metric is correct.
The threshold was set too low
Why it's wrong here
Threshold is 90%, spike reached 100%.
The alarm has not yet evaluated enough low datapoints to change state
Why this is correct
Alarm remains ALARM until it evaluates consecutive OK datapoints.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The CPUUtilization metric is not being emitted
Why it's wrong here
The alarm shows a datapoint of 100.
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The alarm shows a datapoint of 100.
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.
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FAQ
Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The alarm has not yet evaluated enough low datapoints to change state — Option C is correct because the alarm is configured with EvaluationPeriods=1, meaning it requires only one high datapoint to trigger ALARM. The CPU spiked to 100% at 09:55, causing the alarm to enter ALARM state. Even though CPU utilization has since dropped to 10%, the alarm remains in ALARM until it evaluates a sufficient number of low datapoints to transition to OK. Since only one high datapoint was needed to trigger, only one low datapoint is needed to return to OK, but the alarm may not have evaluated the latest low datapoint yet, or the alarm's state transition period may not have elapsed. Option A is wrong because the metric exists and is being emitted. Option B is wrong because the threshold is set to 90%, which is appropriate. Option D is wrong because the CPUUtilization metric is being emitted, as evidenced by the spike.
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.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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