Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A team runs a CPU-intensive image processing service on Amazon EC2. The service spends most of its time resizing and compressing images, and the team wants the best price-performance starting point for compute-heavy work. Which EC2 instance family should they choose?
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
Distractor review
Memory optimized instances
These are better when the workload is limited by RAM capacity, not CPU throughput.
B
Best answer
Compute optimized instances
These instances are designed for workloads that need strong CPU performance and efficient compute price-performance.
C
Distractor review
Storage optimized instances
These are intended for very high sequential read or write throughput to local storage.
D
Distractor review
General purpose instances
These are balanced, but they are not the best first choice for heavy CPU processing.
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.
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Question 2
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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: Compute optimized instances — Compute optimized instances are the best fit when the primary bottleneck is CPU performance. Image resizing and compression are classic compute-heavy tasks, so starting with a compute optimized family gives better price-performance than a general purpose instance. Memory optimized and storage optimized families solve different problems, so they would not be the first choice unless the workload were constrained by RAM or local disk throughput. Why others are wrong: Memory optimized instances help when the application needs large amounts of RAM, not mainly faster processing. Storage optimized instances are for workloads needing very fast local disk I/O, which is not the main need here. General purpose instances are a safe default, but they usually do not provide the best value when the workload is clearly CPU-bound.
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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