- A
Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Secrets Manager.
Secrets Manager uses an interface endpoint in a private-subnet design. That keeps startup traffic off the NAT Gateway while still letting the service retrieve secrets privately over the AWS network.
- B
Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Systems Manager.
Systems Manager provides the API path used by Parameter Store. Adding the interface endpoint removes those configuration lookups from the NAT path and directly lowers recurring NAT charges.
- C
Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Amazon S3 instead.
Why wrong: An S3 gateway endpoint is useful when workloads need private access to S3, but this startup path is for Secrets Manager and Parameter Store. Adding S3 endpoints would not remove the NAT charges described in the scenario.
- D
Add an Internet Gateway and send the traffic through public subnets.
Why wrong: That would expose the service to the internet and does not reduce outbound traffic cost. The requirement is to keep the workload private and remove the need for NAT while still reaching AWS services.
- E
Replace the NAT Gateway with a NAT instance.
Why wrong: A NAT instance can sometimes reduce cost, but it still requires an egress path and adds patching, scaling, and availability management. It does not eliminate the AWS API traffic cost the way the right VPC endpoints do.
SAA-C03 Design Cost-Optimized Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design cost-optimized architectures. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A containerized service runs in private subnets and retrieves secrets from AWS Secrets Manager and configuration parameters from AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store on startup. A NAT Gateway is currently used only for these AWS API calls, and the security team wants to eliminate that recurring charge. Which two endpoints should be added? Select two.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Secrets Manager.
Option A is correct because AWS Secrets Manager is accessed via API calls over HTTPS, and an interface VPC endpoint (powered by AWS PrivateLink) allows private connectivity to the service without traversing the internet or a NAT Gateway. This eliminates the need for the NAT Gateway for Secrets Manager traffic, reducing costs and improving security by keeping traffic within the AWS network.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Secrets Manager.
- ✓
Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Systems Manager.
Why this is correct
Systems Manager provides the API path used by Parameter Store. Adding the interface endpoint removes those configuration lookups from the NAT path and directly lowers recurring NAT charges.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Amazon S3 instead.
- ✗
Add an Internet Gateway and send the traffic through public subnets.
Why it's wrong here
That would expose the service to the internet and does not reduce outbound traffic cost. The requirement is to keep the workload private and remove the need for NAT while still reaching AWS services.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the containerized service needs to access the internet for other purposes (e.g., downloading updates or external APIs) and the security team allows public internet access, adding an Internet Gateway and routing through public subnets would be appropriate. This would be correct if the question asked for a solution to provide internet access to private subnets without specifying cost elimination.
- ✗
Replace the NAT Gateway with a NAT instance.
Why it's wrong here
A NAT instance can sometimes reduce cost, but it still requires an egress path and adds patching, scaling, and availability management. It does not eliminate the AWS API traffic cost the way the right VPC endpoints do.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the security team wants to reduce costs but cannot use VPC endpoints due to service limitations or compliance requirements, and the workload is small enough that a single NAT instance is cheaper than a NAT Gateway, replacing the NAT Gateway with a NAT instance would be correct.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SAA-C03 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Secrets Manager.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager uses an interface endpoint in a private-subnet design. That keeps startup traffic off the NAT Gateway while still letting the service retrieve secrets privately over the AWS network.
✗Create a gateway VPC endpoint for Amazon S3 instead.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question involves accessing AWS Secrets Manager and Systems Manager Parameter Store, not Amazon S3. A gateway VPC endpoint for S3 would not enable API calls to these services, so it does not solve the problem.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A gateway VPC endpoint for S3 would be correct in a scenario where a service in a private subnet needs to access an S3 bucket (e.g., for storing or retrieving objects) and the goal is to avoid NAT Gateway charges for S3 traffic.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse VPC endpoint types or assume that a gateway endpoint can handle all AWS API calls, not realizing that gateway endpoints only work for S3 and DynamoDB.
✗Add an Internet Gateway and send the traffic through public subnets.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Adding an Internet Gateway and routing traffic through public subnets would expose the private subnets to the internet, violating security requirements and still incurring costs for the Internet Gateway and data transfer, without eliminating the recurring charge as requested.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the containerized service needs to access the internet for other purposes (e.g., downloading updates or external APIs) and the security team allows public internet access, adding an Internet Gateway and routing through public subnets would be appropriate. This would be correct if the question asked for a solution to provide internet access to private subnets without specifying cost elimination.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that an Internet Gateway is a free alternative to a NAT Gateway, but AWS charges for Internet Gateway data transfer. They might also mistakenly believe that routing through public subnets is a cost-saving measure, overlooking the security and cost implications.
✗Replace the NAT Gateway with a NAT instance.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question requires eliminating the NAT Gateway charge while maintaining access to AWS Secrets Manager and Systems Manager Parameter Store. A NAT instance still incurs EC2 costs and management overhead, and does not eliminate the recurring charge as effectively as VPC endpoints.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the security team wants to reduce costs but cannot use VPC endpoints due to service limitations or compliance requirements, and the workload is small enough that a single NAT instance is cheaper than a NAT Gateway, replacing the NAT Gateway with a NAT instance would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a NAT instance is a cheaper alternative to a NAT Gateway and overlook that the question specifically asks to eliminate the recurring charge, not just reduce it, and that VPC endpoints are a more appropriate solution for private subnet AWS API calls.
Analysis generated from the official SAA-C03blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse gateway VPC endpoints (for S3/DynamoDB) with interface VPC endpoints (for most other AWS services), leading them to incorrectly select option C instead of recognizing that both Secrets Manager and Systems Manager require interface endpoints.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
An S3 gateway endpoint is useful when workloads need private access to S3, but this startup path is for Secrets Manager and Parameter Store. Adding S3 endpoints would not remove the NAT charges described in the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Interface VPC endpoints use AWS PrivateLink to create an elastic network interface (ENI) in the subnet with a private IP address, allowing direct HTTPS connections to AWS services via the AWS network backbone. For AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store, the interface endpoint is for Systems Manager (ssm) or Systems Manager Messages (ssmmessages), not a separate endpoint, and both Secrets Manager and Parameter Store require interface endpoints because they are API-based services. In a real-world scenario, using both endpoints ensures that startup scripts can retrieve secrets and parameters without any internet dependency, fully eliminating NAT Gateway costs.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAA-C03 questions
1,040 questions across all exam domains
- →
SAA-C03 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAA-C03 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAA-C03 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Secure Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Secure Architectures.
Design Resilient Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Resilient Architectures.
Design High-Performing Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design High-Performing Architectures.
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to Design Cost-Optimized Architectures.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAA-C03 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAA-C03 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — This question tests Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an interface VPC endpoint for AWS Secrets Manager. — Option A is correct because AWS Secrets Manager is accessed via API calls over HTTPS, and an interface VPC endpoint (powered by AWS PrivateLink) allows private connectivity to the service without traversing the internet or a NAT Gateway. This eliminates the need for the NAT Gateway for Secrets Manager traffic, reducing costs and improving security by keeping traffic within the AWS network.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SAA-C03 practice questions
- A content publishing system uses Lambda functions that call an unreliable third-party API. Failed events must be retaine…
- A startup runs two EC2-based workloads in the same AWS Region. Its customer-facing API is always on, and its nightly vid…
- A warehouse integration service must use shared file storage across Linux EC2 instances in multiple Availability Zones.…
- A team runs a stateless web app on Amazon EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer. During traffic spikes, new EC2 instan…
- A service in private subnets downloads product images from Amazon S3 and stores job state in DynamoDB. A NAT Gateway is…
- A static site is hosted in Amazon S3 and delivered by CloudFront. After a frontend release, the same JavaScript bundles…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SAA-C03 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAA-C03 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.