This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. 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.
Network Topology
An engineer runs the command above for a subnet associated with this network ACL. The subnet's CIDR is 10.0.1.0/24. An EC2 instance in the subnet attempts to initiate an HTTPS connection to a server on the internet. What is the result?
Network Topology
A
The connection fails because the outbound rule does not allow HTTPS.
Why wrong: Outbound rule allows ephemeral ports; HTTPS outbound is allowed by default outbound allow (since no outbound deny).
B
The connection succeeds because outbound traffic is allowed.
Why wrong: Outbound traffic is allowed, but inbound return traffic is blocked.
C
The connection fails because the inbound HTTPS return traffic is denied by rule 200.
Return traffic (SYN-ACK) from internet has source port 443, which matches inbound deny rule 200.
D
The connection succeeds because inbound rule 100 allows HTTPS from the subnet.
Why wrong: Rule 100 allows HTTPS from subnet CIDR as source, but return traffic comes from internet, not subnet.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The connection fails because the inbound HTTPS return traffic is denied by rule 200.
Based on the provided network ACL exhibit, inbound rule 200 denies all traffic (0.0.0.0/0, ALL traffic). Even though outbound HTTPS is allowed, the return traffic for the HTTPS connection (which is inbound) is evaluated against the inbound rules. Since rule 200 denies all inbound traffic, the return packets are dropped, causing the connection to fail. Network ACLs are stateless, so both inbound and outbound rules must explicitly allow the traffic.
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.
✗
The connection fails because the outbound rule does not allow HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
Outbound rule allows ephemeral ports; HTTPS outbound is allowed by default outbound allow (since no outbound deny).
✗
The connection succeeds because outbound traffic is allowed.
Why it's wrong here
Outbound traffic is allowed, but inbound return traffic is blocked.
✓
The connection fails because the inbound HTTPS return traffic is denied by rule 200.
Why this is correct
Return traffic (SYN-ACK) from internet has source port 443, which matches inbound deny rule 200.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The connection succeeds because inbound rule 100 allows HTTPS from the subnet.
Why it's wrong here
Rule 100 allows HTTPS from subnet CIDR as source, but return traffic comes from internet, not subnet.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The ANS-C01 exam often tests the stateless nature of network ACLs, where candidates mistakenly assume that allowing outbound traffic automatically permits the corresponding inbound return traffic, forgetting that both directions must be explicitly allowed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Network ACLs are stateless, meaning they do not track connection state; each packet is evaluated independently against the rules. For a TCP connection like HTTPS, the three-way handshake requires the SYN-ACK and ACK packets to be allowed inbound. In this scenario, even though the outbound SYN is allowed, the inbound SYN-ACK is denied by rule 200. This is a common pitfall when migrating from security groups (which are stateful) to network ACLs.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Visual reference
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.
Network Design — This question tests Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The connection fails because the inbound HTTPS return traffic is denied by rule 200. — Based on the provided network ACL exhibit, inbound rule 200 denies all traffic (0.0.0.0/0, ALL traffic). Even though outbound HTTPS is allowed, the return traffic for the HTTPS connection (which is inbound) is evaluated against the inbound rules. Since rule 200 denies all inbound traffic, the return packets are dropped, causing the connection to fail. Network ACLs are stateless, so both inbound and outbound rules must explicitly allow the traffic.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 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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Question Discussion
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