- A
Create a cache policy that forwards the query string to the origin and varies the cache key by all query parameters.
Why wrong: If the cache key varies by all query parameters, then every unique tracking value produces a different cache key. That creates cache fragmentation (many near-duplicate objects), which lowers the cache hit ratio and increases origin requests—directly opposing the goal.
- B
Update the CloudFront cache policy so the cache key ignores the tracking query parameter, while still using the path and other essential headers.
CloudFront caching depends on the cache key (for example, path, selected headers, and selected query strings). If you configure a cache policy to exclude the tracking query parameter (or ignore specific query string parameters), CloudFront treats requests for the same asset as the same cached object. This prevents cache fragmentation caused by unique tracking values. Origin load decreases and cache hit ratio increases, while correctness is maintained because the excluded parameter does not affect the content of the static JS/CSS objects.
- C
Enable S3 origin access control and keep the existing default cache policy, because origin access changes caching behavior automatically.
Why wrong: S3 origin access control restricts how CloudFront can access the S3 bucket (security/authorization). It does not change how CloudFront constructs the cache key. If the existing cache policy forwards or varies on the tracking query string, the hit ratio will still drop.
- D
Set the CloudFront Time-to-Live (TTL) to 0 seconds to ensure the origin always serves the latest asset content.
Why wrong: TTL of 0 effectively disables caching for the objects, causing cache misses for most requests. That increases origin traffic and usually worsens both performance and cost. The problem here is cache key fragmentation, not stale content.
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 marketing team uses CloudFront with an S3 origin to serve a single-page web app. After a release, CloudFront cache hit ratio dropped sharply. The app requests the same static JS and CSS assets, but each request includes a unique tracking query parameter (for example, ?utm_source=campaign123, campaign456, etc.). You want CloudFront to cache those assets efficiently even when the tracking query parameter changes. What should you do?
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
Update the CloudFront cache policy so the cache key ignores the tracking query parameter, while still using the path and other essential headers.
Option B is correct because CloudFront's cache key determines whether a request is served from the cache or forwarded to the origin. By configuring a cache policy that ignores the tracking query parameter (e.g., utm_source), CloudFront treats all requests for the same asset path as identical, regardless of the unique tracking parameter. This allows the same JS and CSS files to be cached once and served for all campaign variations, restoring the cache hit ratio.
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.
- ✗
Create a cache policy that forwards the query string to the origin and varies the cache key by all query parameters.
Why it's wrong here
If the cache key varies by all query parameters, then every unique tracking value produces a different cache key. That creates cache fragmentation (many near-duplicate objects), which lowers the cache hit ratio and increases origin requests—directly opposing the goal.
- ✓
Update the CloudFront cache policy so the cache key ignores the tracking query parameter, while still using the path and other essential headers.
Why this is correct
CloudFront caching depends on the cache key (for example, path, selected headers, and selected query strings). If you configure a cache policy to exclude the tracking query parameter (or ignore specific query string parameters), CloudFront treats requests for the same asset as the same cached object. This prevents cache fragmentation caused by unique tracking values. Origin load decreases and cache hit ratio increases, while correctness is maintained because the excluded parameter does not affect the content of the static JS/CSS objects.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable S3 origin access control and keep the existing default cache policy, because origin access changes caching behavior automatically.
Why it's wrong here
S3 origin access control restricts how CloudFront can access the S3 bucket (security/authorization). It does not change how CloudFront constructs the cache key. If the existing cache policy forwards or varies on the tracking query string, the hit ratio will still drop.
- ✗
Set the CloudFront Time-to-Live (TTL) to 0 seconds to ensure the origin always serves the latest asset content.
Why it's wrong here
TTL of 0 effectively disables caching for the objects, causing cache misses for most requests. That increases origin traffic and usually worsens both performance and cost. The problem here is cache key fragmentation, not stale content.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think forwarding all query parameters (Option A) is necessary for dynamic content, but for static assets with irrelevant tracking parameters, ignoring them is the correct approach to maximize cache hits.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudFront's cache key is built from the URL path, query parameters, and headers based on the cache policy. By using a cache policy that ignores specific query parameters (e.g., via the 'Query String' behavior set to 'None' or by explicitly excluding parameters), CloudFront normalizes the cache key so that requests differing only in ignored parameters map to the same cached object. This is critical for single-page applications where tracking parameters are appended to static asset URLs but the underlying content is identical.
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: Update the CloudFront cache policy so the cache key ignores the tracking query parameter, while still using the path and other essential headers. — Option B is correct because CloudFront's cache key determines whether a request is served from the cache or forwarded to the origin. By configuring a cache policy that ignores the tracking query parameter (e.g., utm_source), CloudFront treats all requests for the same asset path as identical, regardless of the unique tracking parameter. This allows the same JS and CSS files to be cached once and served for all campaign variations, restoring the cache hit ratio.
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.