- A
Set Cache-Control: no-cache so CloudFront always revalidates with the origin
Why wrong: no-cache instructs clients and caches to revalidate before using a stored response. That behavior reduces cache hit rate and increases origin requests, which conflicts with the goal of maximizing hits and minimizing origin load.
- B
Set Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable for the versioned assets
For content-addressed/versioned URLs, a long max-age lets CloudFront treat the object as fresh for a long period. Adding the immutable directive tells clients not to revalidate while the max-age is still valid, supporting high cache hit rates and fewer origin fetches for repeat requests.
- C
Set Cache-Control: max-age=0 and rely on CloudFront to cache by default
Why wrong: max-age=0 makes the response immediately stale. That forces revalidation/conditional requests and reduces effective caching benefits, increasing origin traffic—especially for frequently requested assets.
- D
Disable CloudFront caching and forward all headers and query strings to the origin
Why wrong: Disabling caching and forwarding everything prevents CloudFront from serving cached responses, guaranteeing frequent origin fetches. Forwarding all headers/query strings also increases cache fragmentation, further lowering hit rate.
Quick Answer
The answer is to set Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable for the versioned static assets. This configuration is correct because versioned assets like /static/app-<buildHash>.js have unique, permanent URLs that never change content, so the immutable directive (RFC 8246) tells both CloudFront and browsers to cache the file for a full year without ever revalidating, eliminating conditional requests like If-None-Match or If-Modified-Since. On the SAA-C03 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to maximize CloudFront cache hit rate for versioned static assets while reducing origin load; a common trap is choosing a short max-age or omitting immutable, which still triggers revalidation and wastes origin requests. Remember the memory tip: “Hash it, cache it, never fetch it” — when the URL hash changes, the old URL is effectively dead, so a long max-age with immutable is safe and optimal.
SAA-C03 Design High-Performing Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing architectures. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Your team hosts versioned static assets (for example, /static/app-<buildHash>.js). Each build hash never changes, but you release new files on new URLs. To maximize cache hit rate and reduce origin load using CloudFront, what should you do when generating HTTP responses for these assets?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"never"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
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
Set Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable for the versioned assets
Option B is correct because setting `Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable` tells CloudFront and browsers to cache the versioned asset for one year (31536000 seconds) and never revalidate, since the URL changes with each new build. The `immutable` directive (RFC 8246) signals that the content will never change on that URL, eliminating conditional revalidation requests and maximizing cache hits, which reduces origin load.
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.
- ✗
Set Cache-Control: no-cache so CloudFront always revalidates with the origin
Why it's wrong here
no-cache instructs clients and caches to revalidate before using a stored response. That behavior reduces cache hit rate and increases origin requests, which conflicts with the goal of maximizing hits and minimizing origin load.
- ✓
Set Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable for the versioned assets
Why this is correct
For content-addressed/versioned URLs, a long max-age lets CloudFront treat the object as fresh for a long period. Adding the immutable directive tells clients not to revalidate while the max-age is still valid, supporting high cache hit rates and fewer origin fetches for repeat requests.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set Cache-Control: max-age=0 and rely on CloudFront to cache by default
Why it's wrong here
max-age=0 makes the response immediately stale. That forces revalidation/conditional requests and reduces effective caching benefits, increasing origin traffic—especially for frequently requested assets.
- ✗
Disable CloudFront caching and forward all headers and query strings to the origin
Why it's wrong here
Disabling caching and forwarding everything prevents CloudFront from serving cached responses, guaranteeing frequent origin fetches. Forwarding all headers/query strings also increases cache fragmentation, further lowering hit rate.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'no-cache' (which still allows caching but forces revalidation) with 'no-store' (which forbids caching entirely), or they assume that `max-age=0` is acceptable for versioned assets, not realizing it forces revalidation and reduces cache efficiency.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `immutable` directive (RFC 8246) was introduced to prevent browsers from revalidating cached responses on page reloads, which is ideal for content with unique URLs like `app-<hash>.js`. CloudFront respects `Cache-Control` headers from the origin; with `max-age=31536000`, the asset is cached at edge locations for a year, and the `immutable` hint further reduces unnecessary `If-None-Match` or `If-Modified-Since` requests from clients. In practice, this combination can reduce origin requests by over 99% for static assets with unique URLs.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable for the versioned assets — Option B is correct because setting `Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable` tells CloudFront and browsers to cache the versioned asset for one year (31536000 seconds) and never revalidate, since the URL changes with each new build. The `immutable` directive (RFC 8246) signals that the content will never change on that URL, eliminating conditional revalidation requests and maximizing cache hits, which reduces origin load.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "never". Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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