Question 1mediummulti select
Full question →mediummulti selectObjective-mapped
A service in private subnets downloads product images from Amazon S3 and stores job state in DynamoDB. A NAT Gateway is currently the only route to AWS services, and the monthly bill is dominated by NAT data processing charges. Which two changes will most directly reduce that cost? 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
Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Amazon S3.
An S3 gateway endpoint routes S3 traffic over the AWS private network instead of through the NAT Gateway. That removes NAT data processing charges for the S3 downloads and is one of the most direct cost optimizations for private-subnet workloads.
B
Best answer
Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Amazon DynamoDB.
DynamoDB also supports a gateway endpoint, which keeps table traffic off the NAT Gateway path. Using the endpoint avoids both NAT data processing fees and the need to hairpin private AWS API calls through internet egress.
C
Distractor review
Add an internet gateway and move the instances into public subnets.
This changes the routing model and security exposure, but it does not reduce the amount of traffic the application sends to AWS services. It also does nothing to remove NAT-related charges for private service access.
D
Distractor review
Replace the NAT Gateway with a Site-to-Site VPN connection.
A VPN is meant for connectivity to on-premises or external networks. It does not eliminate the need to reach S3 and DynamoDB privately, so it does not directly solve the NAT data-processing-cost problem.
E
Distractor review
Create an interface endpoint for S3 instead of a gateway endpoint.
An interface endpoint can work for some S3 use cases, but it adds hourly and data-processing charges. For the specific goal of lowering NAT charges for S3 access from private subnets, the S3 gateway endpoint is the lower-cost choice.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
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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.
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 5
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Amazon S3. — Gateway VPC endpoints for S3 and DynamoDB are the most direct way to remove those AWS service calls from the NAT Gateway path. The instances stay in private subnets, the traffic stays on the AWS network, and the organization stops paying NAT data-processing fees for those requests. This is a standard cost optimization for private workloads that frequently call S3 or DynamoDB. Why others are wrong: Moving the workload to public subnets changes the security posture but does not reduce service-access traffic costs. A VPN is unrelated to AWS service egress for S3 and DynamoDB. An interface endpoint for S3 is not the lowest-cost choice here because it introduces endpoint charges that a gateway endpoint avoids.
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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