- A
Set Cache-Control headers on the origin to always be no-cache so clients revalidate frequently.
Why wrong: No-cache forces frequent revalidation, which reduces CloudFront cache usefulness and increases origin requests.
- B
Use versioned file names (e.g., app.abc123.js) and configure a long TTL with appropriate revalidation behavior.
Versioned assets allow long caching with confidence, while new filenames trigger updates when code changes.
- C
Disable query string forwarding so all URLs without query strings share one cached object even when content differs.
Why wrong: This can cause incorrect content delivery if different query parameters generate different responses.
- D
Forward all headers, including cookies, to maximize personalization in edge cached responses.
Why wrong: Forwarding cookies and all headers typically reduces cache hits and increases cache fragmentation.
SAA-C03 Design High-Performing Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing architectures. 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 serves mostly static images and JavaScript files from an origin in one AWS Region. They want to reduce origin load and improve global performance. Which change most directly increases cache-hit ratio for static assets while avoiding stale content?
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
Use versioned file names (e.g., app.abc123.js) and configure a long TTL with appropriate revalidation behavior.
Option B is correct because using versioned file names (e.g., app.abc123.js) allows you to set a long Cache-Control max-age TTL (e.g., one year) without risking stale content. When the file changes, the new version gets a new URL, so clients and edge caches immediately fetch the fresh object, maximizing cache hits for unchanged assets while avoiding stale content.
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.
- ✗
Set Cache-Control headers on the origin to always be no-cache so clients revalidate frequently.
Why it's wrong here
No-cache forces frequent revalidation, which reduces CloudFront cache usefulness and increases origin requests.
- ✓
Use versioned file names (e.g., app.abc123.js) and configure a long TTL with appropriate revalidation behavior.
Why this is correct
Versioned assets allow long caching with confidence, while new filenames trigger updates when code changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable query string forwarding so all URLs without query strings share one cached object even when content differs.
Why it's wrong here
This can cause incorrect content delivery if different query parameters generate different responses.
- ✗
Forward all headers, including cookies, to maximize personalization in edge cached responses.
Why it's wrong here
Forwarding cookies and all headers typically reduces cache hits and increases cache fragmentation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'no-cache' with 'no-store' or think that disabling query strings universally improves caching, but they fail to recognize that versioned filenames with long TTLs are the standard pattern for maximizing cache hits while ensuring content freshness.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudFront (and other CDNs) use the cache key (often based on URL, query string, and headers) to determine if a request is a cache hit. Versioned filenames leverage content-addressable storage: each unique filename acts as an immutable cache key, so a long max-age (e.g., 31536000 seconds) can be set safely. When the asset updates, the new filename forces a cache miss, fetching the fresh content without needing invalidation or revalidation.
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.
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.
- →
Design High-Performing Architectures — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design High-Performing Architectures practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAA-C03 questions
1,040 questions across all exam domains
- →
SAA-C03 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAA-C03 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAA-C03 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Secure Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Secure Architectures.
Design Resilient Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Resilient Architectures.
Design High-Performing Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design High-Performing Architectures.
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Cost-Optimized Architectures.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAA-C03 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 SAA-C03 question test?
Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use versioned file names (e.g., app.abc123.js) and configure a long TTL with appropriate revalidation behavior. — Option B is correct because using versioned file names (e.g., app.abc123.js) allows you to set a long Cache-Control max-age TTL (e.g., one year) without risking stale content. When the file changes, the new version gets a new URL, so clients and edge caches immediately fetch the fresh object, maximizing cache hits for unchanged assets while avoiding stale content.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 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.
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 SAA-C03 practice questions
- A content publishing system uses Lambda functions that call an unreliable third-party API. Failed events must be retaine…
- A startup runs two EC2-based workloads in the same AWS Region. Its customer-facing API is always on, and its nightly vid…
- A warehouse integration service must use shared file storage across Linux EC2 instances in multiple Availability Zones.…
- A team runs a stateless web app on Amazon EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer. During traffic spikes, new EC2 instan…
- A service in private subnets downloads product images from Amazon S3 and stores job state in DynamoDB. A NAT Gateway is…
- A static site is hosted in Amazon S3 and delivered by CloudFront. After a frontend release, the same JavaScript bundles…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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.