- A
Place the RDS instance in a public subnet and use security groups to restrict access.
Why wrong: RDS should not be in a public subnet; it should be private.
- B
Place the RDS instance in all three private subnets to maximize availability.
Why wrong: RDS requires exactly two subnets for Multi-AZ.
- C
Place the RDS instance in two private subnets that are in different Availability Zones.
This allows Multi-AZ deployment for high availability.
- D
Place the RDS instance in a single private subnet with a large CIDR for future scaling.
Why wrong: Single subnet does not support Multi-AZ.
Question 544 of 1,705
ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network design. 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 company has a VPC with a CIDR of 10.0.0.0/16. It has six subnets: three public (10.0.1.0/24, 10.0.2.0/24, 10.0.3.0/24) and three private (10.0.4.0/24, 10.0.5.0/24, 10.0.6.0/24). The company wants to launch an RDS instance in a private subnet. Which subnet should the RDS instance be placed in to maximize high availability and follow best practices?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
✓
Place the RDS instance in two private subnets that are in different Availability Zones.
Option C is correct because Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments require the RDS instance to be placed in at least two subnets that reside in different Availability Zones (AZs) within the same VPC. This configuration enables synchronous standby replication across AZs, providing automatic failover and high availability. The subnets must be private to ensure the database is not directly exposed to the internet, aligning with security best practices.
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.
- ✗
Place the RDS instance in a public subnet and use security groups to restrict access.
Why it's wrong here
RDS should not be in a public subnet; it should be private.
- ✗
Place the RDS instance in all three private subnets to maximize availability.
Why it's wrong here
RDS requires exactly two subnets for Multi-AZ.
- ✓
Place the RDS instance in two private subnets that are in different Availability Zones.
Why this is correct
This allows Multi-AZ deployment for high availability.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Place the RDS instance in a single private subnet with a large CIDR for future scaling.
Why it's wrong here
Single subnet does not support Multi-AZ.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume a single subnet is sufficient for high availability, but AWS RDS Multi-AZ explicitly requires subnets in at least two different Availability Zones to enable automatic failover and synchronous replication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When you enable Multi-AZ for RDS, AWS automatically provisions and maintains a synchronous standby replica in a different AZ. The primary database synchronously replicates data to the standby using the AWS-proprietary replication protocol, and in the event of an AZ failure, RDS automatically fails over to the standby with minimal downtime. The subnet group must include subnets from at least two AZs, and RDS assigns the primary and standby to different subnets within that group, ensuring that the database remains available even if an entire AZ becomes unavailable.
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 — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Network Design practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All ANS-C01 questions
1,705 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
ANS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related ANS-C01 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Network Management and Operations practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Management and Operations.
Network Security, Compliance and Governance practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Security, Compliance and Governance.
Network Design practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Design.
Network Implementation practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Implementation.
ANS-C01 fundamentals practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 fundamentals.
ANS-C01 scenario practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 scenario.
ANS-C01 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 question test?
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: Place the RDS instance in two private subnets that are in different Availability Zones. — Option C is correct because Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments require the RDS instance to be placed in at least two subnets that reside in different Availability Zones (AZs) within the same VPC. This configuration enables synchronous standby replication across AZs, providing automatic failover and high availability. The subnets must be private to ensure the database is not directly exposed to the internet, aligning with security best practices.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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 →
Keep practising
More ANS-C01 practice questions
- A financial services company has a VPC with a public subnet and a private subnet. EC2 instances in the private subnet ne…
- A company is designing a network security architecture for a multi-account environment using AWS Transit Gateway. The se…
- A company is using AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises network to AWS. The company wants to encrypt all traffi…
- A company uses AWS Transit Gateway to connect multiple VPCs and on-premises networks via AWS Site-to-Site VPN. The secur…
- A company runs a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The application must be acc…
- A global e-commerce company uses a hub-and-spoke network topology with a transit VPC in us-east-1. Each spoke VPC has an…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 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.