SAA-C03 Design High-Performing Architectures Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"CachePolicyConfig": {
"DefaultTTL": 86400,
"MaxTTL": 31536000,
"MinTTL": 0,
"ParametersInCacheKeyAndForwardedToOrigin": {
"CookiesConfig": {"CookieBehavior": "none"},
"HeadersConfig": {"HeaderBehavior": "none"},
"QueryStringsConfig": {"QueryStringBehavior": "all"}
}
}
}Refer to the exhibit. An architect is reviewing a CloudFront Cache Policy for a dynamic site. The application is experiencing a low cache hit ratio, leading to high load on the origin servers. Based on the configuration, which change would most likely improve the cache hit ratio?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is assuming that TTL settings or cookie/header forwarding improve cache hit ratio, when in fact forwarding more dimensions (cookies, headers, all query strings) fragments the cache and lowers the hit ratio; candidates must recognize that reducing the cache key dimensions is what improves hit ratio.
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
✓
Change QueryStringBehavior to 'whitelist' or 'none'.
In a CloudFront cache policy, QueryStringBehavior set to 'all' (or forwarding all query strings) causes CloudFront to treat every unique query string combination as a separate cache object, drastically reducing the cache hit ratio. Changing it to 'whitelist' (forwarding only the query strings the origin actually needs) or 'none' (ignoring query strings entirely) collapses many variants into a single cached object, which increases the cache hit ratio and reduces origin load. This is the most direct fix for the described symptom.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Change QueryStringBehavior to 'whitelist' or 'none'.
Why this is correct
By changing the behavior to 'none' or 'whitelist' only specific parameters, CloudFront can ignore non-essential or unique query strings when generating cache keys. This allows multiple requests with different unimportant parameters to be served from the same cache entry, significantly increasing the cache hit ratio.
- ✗
Increase the DefaultTTL and MinTTL values.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing TTL values determines how long an item stays in the cache once it is already there. However, if every request is treated as unique due to the query string configuration, the items will never be reused regardless of how long their expiration time is set.
- ✗
Set CookieBehavior to 'all' to include session data.
Why it's wrong here
Including all cookies in the cache key would actually further decrease the cache hit ratio. Since cookies often contain unique session IDs or user-specific data, caching based on them would ensure that almost every request is treated as a unique object, putting even more stress on the origin.
- ✗
Enable HeaderBehavior for the 'Host' header.
Why it's wrong here
Forwarding headers and including them in the cache key generally reduces the cache hit ratio because it adds another variable that must match for a cache hit. While the Host header is often necessary for multi-site origins, it would not solve the specific performance issue caused by query strings.
About these practice questions
This SAA-C03 question is part of Courseiva's 149-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This SAA-C03 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 SAA-C03 exam.