- A
Read replicas can be placed in different Availability Zones than the primary DB instance
Read replicas can be in different AZs to improve availability and fault tolerance.
- B
The application EC2 instances must be in the same VPC as the RDS instance
EC2 instances can connect to RDS using private IPs within the same VPC.
- C
A security group rule must allow inbound traffic from the application subnets on port 3306
MySQL uses port 3306; the security group must allow traffic from the application tier.
- D
Read replicas must be in public subnets with public IP addresses
Why wrong: Read replicas should be in private subnets for security; public IPs are not required.
- E
Read replicas must be in the same Region as the primary DB instance
Why wrong: Read replicas can be in different Regions (cross-Region read replicas).
ANS-C01 Network Design Practice Question
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.
A company has a VPC with multiple subnets across three Availability Zones. They deploy an Amazon RDS for MySQL Multi-AZ DB instance. The application tier consists of EC2 instances in private subnets. To improve read performance, the company wants to add read replicas. Which THREE design considerations are important for network connectivity? (Choose THREE.)
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
Read replicas can be placed in different Availability Zones than the primary DB instance
Option A is correct because Amazon RDS read replicas can be placed in different Availability Zones than the primary DB instance. This improves read performance by distributing read traffic across multiple AZs and provides fault isolation, as replicas remain in the same Region but can be in a different AZ for better availability.
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.
- ✓
Read replicas can be placed in different Availability Zones than the primary DB instance
Why this is correct
Read replicas can be in different AZs to improve availability and fault tolerance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
The application EC2 instances must be in the same VPC as the RDS instance
Why this is correct
EC2 instances can connect to RDS using private IPs within the same VPC.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
A security group rule must allow inbound traffic from the application subnets on port 3306
Why this is correct
MySQL uses port 3306; the security group must allow traffic from the application tier.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Read replicas must be in public subnets with public IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas should be in private subnets for security; public IPs are not required.
- ✗
Read replicas must be in the same Region as the primary DB instance
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas can be in different Regions (cross-Region read replicas).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The ANS-C01 exam often tests the misconception that read replicas require public IPs or must be in public subnets, but in reality, they can be deployed in private subnets with proper VPC routing and security group rules.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication from the primary instance, and network connectivity relies on VPC routing and security groups. The application EC2 instances must be in the same VPC to use private IPs for low-latency access, and security group rules must allow inbound traffic on port 3306 (MySQL default port) from the application subnets. In real-world scenarios, placing replicas in different AZs can reduce latency for geographically distributed readers while maintaining high availability.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Visual reference
What to study next
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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: Read replicas can be placed in different Availability Zones than the primary DB instance — Option A is correct because Amazon RDS read replicas can be placed in different Availability Zones than the primary DB instance. This improves read performance by distributing read traffic across multiple AZs and provides fault isolation, as replicas remain in the same Region but can be in a different AZ for better availability.
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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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.
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