Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
CloudFront access log sample: 2026-04-18T09:12:41Z LAX1 1234 Miss GET d111111abcdef8.cloudfront.net /app/v42/main.8f3d2.js 200 - Mozilla/5.0 Authorization=Bearer eyJhbGciOi... 2026-04-18T09:12:42Z LAX1 1235 Miss GET d111111abcdef8.cloudfront.net /app/v42/vendor.9c1a0.css 200 - Mozilla/5.0 Authorization=Bearer eyJhbGciOi... Distribution behavior summary: - Origin: S3 bucket - Cache policy: legacy default - Origin request policy: forwards all headers, cookies, and query strings - Objects are immutable after release and have content-hash file names
Based on the exhibit, a media company serves versioned JavaScript and CSS files from an Amazon S3 origin through CloudFront. After a frontend release, the cache hit ratio dropped sharply even though the file names are versioned. The application team says the browser requests include the same Authorization header on every asset request because the frontend and API share one domain. What should the solutions architect do to improve CloudFront cache hit ratio without changing the application authentication model for the API?
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
Enable S3 Transfer Acceleration on the bucket so CloudFront fetches objects faster from the origin.
Transfer Acceleration can speed uploads to S3, but it does not improve CloudFront cache-key efficiency or reduce misses.
B
Best answer
Create a CloudFront cache policy that excludes Authorization, cookies, and unnecessary query strings from the cache key.
This reduces cache fragmentation because CloudFront can reuse the same cached object for many viewers. Since the assets are immutable and versioned, the Authorization header is not needed to vary the cache for these files. Keeping API authentication separate preserves the application model while improving hit ratio.
C
Distractor review
Switch the origin from S3 to an Application Load Balancer so CloudFront can cache dynamic responses more effectively.
An ALB origin is useful for dynamic applications, but it does not solve the cache-busting header issue for static assets.
D
Distractor review
Configure CloudFront to forward every viewer header to the origin so the origin can decide whether the content is cacheable.
Forwarding more headers usually makes cache hit ratio worse because more unique request variations are cached separately.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
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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?
Authentication checks who the user is.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a CloudFront cache policy that excludes Authorization, cookies, and unnecessary query strings from the cache key. — CloudFront hit ratio is low because the cache key is being fragmented by viewer headers that do not matter for immutable static assets. The exhibit shows Authorization is forwarded for every request, and the current behavior forwards all headers, cookies, and query strings. The right fix is to use a cache policy that removes those unnecessary elements from the cache key, while leaving the API authentication model unchanged. That lets CloudFront serve one cached copy of each versioned asset to many requests. Transfer Acceleration only helps S3 upload performance and has no meaningful effect on cache-key design. Moving to an ALB origin changes the origin type but does not address the header-caused cache misses. Forwarding every header usually makes the cache hit ratio worse because CloudFront treats more requests as distinct cache entries. The issue is not origin speed; it is cache variance.
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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