- A
Review the EC2 instance's CloudWatch metrics for CPU credit balance and network utilization.
This helps identify resource contention.
- B
Modify the Auto Scaling group to use a larger instance type.
Why wrong: This is a long-term fix, not initial troubleshooting.
- C
Check the ALB's HTTP 5xx error rate metric for the target group.
Why wrong: This checks for application errors, not CPU usage.
- D
Immediately increase the desired capacity of the Auto Scaling group.
Why wrong: This reacts without diagnosing the cause.
Question 1,567 of 1,750
DOP-C02 Incident and Event Response Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. 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 a CloudWatch alarm indicating that an EC2 instance's CPU utilization has exceeded 90% for 10 minutes. The instance is part of an Auto Scaling group behind an Application Load Balancer. What is the MOST efficient initial step to troubleshoot the high CPU usage?
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
✓
Review the EC2 instance's CloudWatch metrics for CPU credit balance and network utilization.
Option A is correct because reviewing the EC2 instance's CloudWatch metrics for CPU credit balance and network utilization is the most efficient initial step to diagnose high CPU usage. CPU credit balance is critical for burstable performance instances (e.g., T2/T3), as a depleted credit balance directly causes sustained high CPU utilization. Network utilization metrics can reveal if the high CPU is driven by excessive traffic or a DDoS-like pattern, allowing targeted remediation without unnecessary scaling or configuration changes.
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 EC2 instance's CloudWatch metrics for CPU credit balance and network utilization.
Why this is correct
This helps identify resource contention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Modify the Auto Scaling group to use a larger instance type.
Why it's wrong here
This is a long-term fix, not initial troubleshooting.
- ✗
Check the ALB's HTTP 5xx error rate metric for the target group.
Why it's wrong here
This checks for application errors, not CPU usage.
- ✗
Immediately increase the desired capacity of the Auto Scaling group.
Why it's wrong here
This reacts without diagnosing the cause.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to scaling actions (Options B or D) or application-layer metrics (Option C) without first checking the instance's foundational health metrics, specifically CPU credit balance for burstable instances, which is the most efficient diagnostic step per AWS Well-Architected best practices.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Burstable instances (T2/T3) rely on CPU credits earned at a baseline rate; when credits are exhausted, CPU utilization is throttled to the baseline, causing performance degradation and sustained high utilization. CloudWatch metrics like CPUCreditBalance and CPUSurplusCreditBalance (for T3 unlimited) provide direct insight into whether the instance is running on earned or surplus credits. Network utilization metrics (e.g., NetworkIn/NetworkOut) help correlate high CPU with traffic spikes, which could indicate a DDoS attack or a sudden increase in legitimate requests, guiding next steps like enabling AWS Shield or adjusting the application.
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.
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
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review the EC2 instance's CloudWatch metrics for CPU credit balance and network utilization. — Option A is correct because reviewing the EC2 instance's CloudWatch metrics for CPU credit balance and network utilization is the most efficient initial step to diagnose high CPU usage. CPU credit balance is critical for burstable performance instances (e.g., T2/T3), as a depleted credit balance directly causes sustained high CPU utilization. Network utilization metrics can reveal if the high CPU is driven by excessive traffic or a DDoS-like pattern, allowing targeted remediation without unnecessary scaling or configuration changes.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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