- A
Transition objects to S3 Standard-IA after 60 days.
Standard-IA is a good fit after the active editing window because the objects are accessed less often but still need relatively quick retrieval.
- B
Transition objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after the review period ends.
Deep Archive minimizes long-term storage spend when the oldest footage can tolerate hour-scale retrieval, exactly as stated in the scenario.
- C
Expire objects after 7 years.
Lifecycle expiration at the end of the legal retention window stops unnecessary storage charges after the policy requirement is satisfied.
- D
Keep the files in S3 Standard indefinitely so retrieval is always fast.
Why wrong: S3 Standard provides fast access, but it is unnecessarily expensive for multi-year retention of footage that is rarely needed.
- E
Copy the files to a single EBS volume for lower per-GB cost.
Why wrong: EBS is block storage and is not suitable for massive archival libraries with lifecycle and retention requirements like these.
Quick Answer
The answer is to expire objects after 7 years, transition objects to S3 Standard-IA after 60 days, and transition objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 6 months. This S3 lifecycle policy for video projects retention directly addresses the studio’s cost and compliance needs: active editing for 60 days stays in S3 Standard, then moving to Standard-IA saves costs while allowing auditors low-latency access for months, and finally archiving to Glacier Deep Archive meets the 7-year legal hold with retrieval taking hours, which is acceptable for very old files. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your ability to map access patterns to storage tiers—a common trap is forgetting that Glacier Deep Archive is for rarely accessed, long-term retention, not for objects needing quick retrieval. A useful memory tip is “60 days active, 6 months audit, 7 years archive,” which aligns the lifecycle transitions with the business timeline.
SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure 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 studio keeps 4 PB of completed video projects in Amazon S3. Editors work on active projects for about 60 days, auditors occasionally review the same objects for several months, and legal policy requires retention for 7 years. Retrieval of very old files can take hours. Which three actions should the architect recommend? Select three.
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
Transition objects to S3 Standard-IA after 60 days.
Option A is correct because after 60 days of active editing, objects can be transitioned to S3 Standard-IA, which offers lower storage costs than S3 Standard while still providing low-latency retrieval for occasional access by auditors. This lifecycle policy optimizes cost without sacrificing availability for the review period.
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.
- ✓
Transition objects to S3 Standard-IA after 60 days.
Why this is correct
Standard-IA is a good fit after the active editing window because the objects are accessed less often but still need relatively quick retrieval.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Transition objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after the review period ends.
Why this is correct
Deep Archive minimizes long-term storage spend when the oldest footage can tolerate hour-scale retrieval, exactly as stated in the scenario.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Expire objects after 7 years.
Why this is correct
Lifecycle expiration at the end of the legal retention window stops unnecessary storage charges after the policy requirement is satisfied.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Keep the files in S3 Standard indefinitely so retrieval is always fast.
Why it's wrong here
S3 Standard provides fast access, but it is unnecessarily expensive for multi-year retention of footage that is rarely needed.
- ✗
Copy the files to a single EBS volume for lower per-GB cost.
Why it's wrong here
EBS is block storage and is not suitable for massive archival libraries with lifecycle and retention requirements like these.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think S3 Standard must be retained for fast retrieval at all times, but the scenario explicitly states retrieval of very old files can take hours, so using Glacier Deep Archive for long-term retention is acceptable and cost-effective.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 Lifecycle policies allow automated transitions between storage classes based on object age, with a minimum of 30 days in S3 Standard before moving to S3 Standard-IA. S3 Glacier Deep Archive is designed for data accessed less than once a year, with retrieval times of 12 hours or more, making it ideal for the 7-year legal retention requirement. The combination of these transitions and an expiration action after 7 years ensures compliance while minimizing cost.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Secure Architectures — This question tests Design Secure Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Transition objects to S3 Standard-IA after 60 days. — Option A is correct because after 60 days of active editing, objects can be transitioned to S3 Standard-IA, which offers lower storage costs than S3 Standard while still providing low-latency retrieval for occasional access by auditors. This lifecycle policy optimizes cost without sacrificing availability for the review period.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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