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← SAA-C03
Full test
hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped

Exhibit

{
  "subnet_route_table": [
    {"destination": "10.0.0.0/16", "target": "local"},
    {"destination": "0.0.0.0/0", "target": "-"}
  ],
  "dns_test": {
    "command": "nslookup secretsmanager.us-east-1.amazonaws.com",
    "result": "Name: secretsmanager.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\nAddress: 54.239.28.82"
  },
  "application_log": [
    "2026-04-18T12:10:04Z ERROR GetSecretValue timed out after 3000 ms",
    "2026-04-18T12:10:04Z INFO calling https://secretsmanager.us-east-1.amazonaws.com"
  ]
}

Based on the exhibit, an application runs in private subnets without a NAT gateway and must retrieve a secret from AWS Secrets Manager. Security requires the traffic to stay on the AWS network and not traverse the public internet. What is the best solution?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

Based on the exhibit, an application runs in private subnets without a NAT gateway and must retrieve a secret from AWS Secrets Manager. Security requires the traffic to stay on the AWS network and not traverse the public internet. What is the best solution?

Full question →

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

Add a NAT gateway to the private subnet route table and keep using the public Secrets Manager endpoint.

This restores connectivity, but it sends traffic through the internet path and adds NAT cost.

B

Best answer

Create an interface VPC endpoint for Secrets Manager and enable private DNS for the endpoint.

An interface endpoint keeps API calls on the AWS network and private DNS makes the standard service name resolve to the private endpoint.

C

Distractor review

Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Secrets Manager and point the route table to it.

Gateway endpoints are not used for Secrets Manager; they are used for specific services like S3 and DynamoDB.

D

Distractor review

Use VPC peering to connect the application subnet to another VPC that already has internet access.

VPC peering does not provide internet egress or a private AWS service endpoint by itself.

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.

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?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Create an interface VPC endpoint for Secrets Manager and enable private DNS for the endpoint. — Secrets Manager is reached privately through an interface VPC endpoint. The route table excerpt shows there is no NAT path, and the DNS result still resolves to a public IP, which indicates private DNS is not in use. Creating the interface endpoint and enabling private DNS lets the application use the normal Secrets Manager hostname while keeping traffic on AWS private networking instead of traversing the public internet. A NAT gateway would make the call work, but it violates the requirement to keep the traffic private and introduces extra cost. Gateway endpoints are not supported for Secrets Manager. VPC peering connects VPCs, but it does not provide a private service endpoint for AWS APIs, so it does not solve the secret retrieval requirement.

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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