An application runs on an EC2 Auto Scaling group. Over the last month, CPU utilization averaged 8% with no sustained memory pressure, and response times are stable. The team wants to lower monthly cost without changing the application. What is the most appropriate next step for cost optimization?

Increase desired capacity to 2x so utilization increases and instances become “more efficient.”

Doubling desired capacity increases the number of running instances and therefore increases cost. The observed low CPU utilization indicates the opposite direction (reducing capacity/infrastructure).

Disable Auto Scaling so the group never scales down to preserve baseline performance.

Disabling Auto Scaling removes the ability to scale down during low-demand periods, which typically increases cost. It also reduces resilience to demand changes.

Switch the workload to Spot instances immediately to avoid On-Demand charges, regardless of interruption risk.

Spot can reduce cost, but the scenario provides no evidence that the application can tolerate interruptions or forced termination. Right sizing should be done based on observed utilization and workload tolerance.

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: Evaluate a smaller EC2 instance type (via the Auto Scaling launch template/configuration) for the group and validate performance metrics after the change. — Right sizing means matching EC2 resources to measured utilization. With CPU averaging 8% and stable response times (and no sustained memory pressure), the instances are likely oversized. The most cost-effective next step is to evaluate smaller instance types in the Auto Scaling group (by updating the launch template/configuration) and then confirm—using metrics such as CPU/memory, latency, and error rates—that performance remains within acceptable targets. This reduces compute spend without changing application logic or introducing unnecessary operational risk. Increasing desired capacity increases cost and is inconsistent with the low utilization signal. Disabling Auto Scaling generally increases spend because you lose scale-down. Switching to Spot is not supported by the scenario and can create availability risk if interruptions occur.

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.