Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
CloudFront behavior summary: Origin: assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com Cache policy: forwards all cookies, all query strings, and the Authorization header Origin request policy: forwards all headers Access logs: x-edge-result-type=Miss: 81% x-edge-result-type=Hit: 19% Object names: /static/app.v18a9f3.js /static/vendor.v18a9f3.css Request pattern: Many requests include Authorization: Bearer <token> Query strings are used only for analytics and do not affect file content
Based on the exhibit, the team serves versioned JavaScript and CSS files from an S3 origin through CloudFront. After a release, the cache hit ratio dropped and origin fetches increased sharply. What change best reduces both CloudFront and S3 costs without changing the application’s public behavior?
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
Increase the CloudFront price class to include more edge locations.
A broader price class can change geographic reach and pricing, but it does not address the real problem: the cache key is fragmented by headers and query strings that do not affect the content of these versioned static assets.
B
Best answer
Create a cache policy that excludes Authorization, cookies, and unnecessary query strings, and narrow the origin request policy to forward only the headers the S3 origin actually needs.
The hit ratio is low because CloudFront is varying the cache on request attributes that do not change versioned static files. Removing Authorization, cookies, and irrelevant query strings from the cache key allows CloudFront to reuse cached objects across users and sessions. Reducing the origin request policy avoids sending unnecessary viewer context to the origin. Because the filenames are already versioned, long TTLs can be used safely and will lower origin requests and S3 request costs.
C
Distractor review
Disable CloudFront and serve the files directly from S3 to avoid cache invalidation overhead.
Serving directly from S3 removes the caching layer entirely, which increases origin requests and data transfer from S3 while also reducing performance for global users. It would likely increase overall cost rather than reduce it.
D
Distractor review
Use Lambda@Edge to rewrite every request into a unique path so that clients never receive stale files.
Rewriting every request into a unique path fragments the cache further and reduces cache reuse. It also adds compute cost and defeats the purpose of a shared CDN cache for versioned static content.
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 cache policy that excludes Authorization, cookies, and unnecessary query strings, and narrow the origin request policy to forward only the headers the S3 origin actually needs. — The cache hit ratio is low because CloudFront is varying cache behavior on request attributes that do not change the actual JavaScript or CSS content. The cost-effective fix is to narrow the cache key and the origin request policy so CloudFront caches one copy of each versioned asset instead of one copy per user or session. That increases hit ratio, reduces S3 origin requests, and lowers both CloudFront and S3 costs without changing what users see. Changing the price class does not improve cache efficiency. Removing CloudFront eliminates the caching and global performance benefits while increasing S3 traffic. Lambda@Edge request rewriting adds complexity and usually worsens cache fragmentation for static assets.
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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