Question 1hardmulti select
Full question →hardmulti selectObjective-mapped
A media company runs a 24/7 ingestion API on EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer and a nightly transcoding job that can resume from checkpoints. The API fleet runs at roughly 65 percent CPU all day, while the batch workers sit idle most of the time. The company wants to cut compute cost without risking the API. Which two changes should they make? Select two.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Purchase a Compute Savings Plan for the always-on API fleet.
Correct. Compute Savings Plans discount steady usage across EC2 and other compute services without forcing a specific instance family. The API has predictable 24/7 demand, so a commitment fits the usage pattern and lowers cost safely.
B
Best answer
Move the transcoding workers to EC2 Spot Instances and checkpoint progress.
Correct. Spot Instances are the best fit for interruptible, restartable batch work. Checkpointing limits the impact of interruption, so the company can absorb Spot interruptions while paying substantially less than On-Demand capacity.
C
Distractor review
Replace the API fleet with Dedicated Hosts to lock in lower rates.
Incorrect. Dedicated Hosts are primarily for licensing or isolation requirements, not cost reduction. They are usually more expensive and do not solve the cost problem for a steady web API.
D
Distractor review
Buy Standard Reserved Instances for the batch workers and keep them running 24/7.
Incorrect. Reserved Instances assume predictable long-running usage, but the batch workers are mostly idle. Paying for always-on capacity defeats the purpose of cost optimization for this workload.
E
Distractor review
Increase the worker Auto Scaling minimum to prevent Spot interruptions.
Incorrect. Raising the minimum keeps more capacity running continuously and increases cost. It also does not eliminate Spot interruptions, so it undermines the savings goal.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A team needs to distribute TCP traffic (not HTTP) across multiple services. The services must see the original client source IP for auditing. Which AWS load balancer is the best fit?
Question 2
A team wants to run containerized services with AWS-managed orchestration and autoscaling. They do NOT require Kubernetes compatibility. Which AWS service choice is most appropriate to meet these goals?
Question 3
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a IoT ingestion API. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
Question 4
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a claims portal. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure?
Question 5
A team wants to delegate IAM management to developers, but must ensure developers can never grant themselves permissions beyond a specific limit. Which AWS mechanism best matches this requirement?
Question 6
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a healthcare document service. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Purchase a Compute Savings Plan for the always-on API fleet. — The best cost mix is to commit only the steady API baseline and use interruptible capacity for the batch job. A Compute Savings Plan reduces the 24/7 API cost without tying the company to a single instance family. Spot Instances are ideal for checkpointed transcoding work because interruptions are acceptable and the job can resume. Together, these choices lower spend while preserving API availability and keeping operational risk low. Why others are wrong: Dedicated Hosts are usually chosen for compliance or software licensing, not for lower cost. Standard Reserved Instances make sense for predictable long-running workers, but not for idle batch servers. Increasing the Auto Scaling minimum simply keeps extra compute running all the time, which increases cost and still does not protect Spot capacity from interruption.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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