Quick Answer
The answer is S3 Intelligent-Tiering. This storage class is the correct choice for minimizing Athena query costs because it automatically moves data between frequent and infrequent access tiers based on changing access patterns, ensuring you never pay for storage you don’t need while keeping data instantly queryable. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cost optimization for analytics workloads—a common trap is assuming S3 Standard is always best for query performance, but Athena charges per byte scanned, so storage cost savings from Intelligent-Tiering directly reduce total cost without sacrificing query speed. Remember, S3 Glacier is for archival and cannot be queried directly by Athena, while One Zone-IA sacrifices durability and may incur retrieval costs that negate savings. Memory tip: think of Intelligent-Tiering as the “set-and-forget” optimizer for Athena—it adapts to your data’s behavior, so you don’t have to.
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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.
A company is building a new data lake on AWS. The data is stored in Amazon S3 and will be queried using Amazon Athena. The company wants to minimize query costs. Which S3 storage class should the company use for the data?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data between tiers to optimize costs.
S3 Standard
Why wrong: S3 Standard has higher retrieval costs and is not optimized for cost.
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why wrong: Glacier is for archival storage, not for frequent querying.
S3 One Zone-IA
Why wrong: One Zone-IA lacks the durability of other tiers and may incur higher costs if data is accessed frequently.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Option B is correct because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically optimizes costs for data with changing access patterns. Option A is wrong because S3 Standard is for frequent access, not cost-optimized. Option C is wrong because S3 Glacier is for archival, not querying. Option D is wrong because S3 One Zone-IA is for infrequent access but lacks durability and may not be cost-effective for queries.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Why this is correct
S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data between tiers to optimize costs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
S3 Standard
Why it's wrong here
S3 Standard has higher retrieval costs and is not optimized for cost.
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why it's wrong here
Glacier is for archival storage, not for frequent querying.
S3 One Zone-IA
Why it's wrong here
One Zone-IA lacks the durability of other tiers and may incur higher costs if data is accessed frequently.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: S3 Intelligent-Tiering — Option B is correct because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically optimizes costs for data with changing access patterns. Option A is wrong because S3 Standard is for frequent access, not cost-optimized. Option C is wrong because S3 Glacier is for archival, not querying. Option D is wrong because S3 One Zone-IA is for infrequent access but lacks durability and may not be cost-effective for queries.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SAP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is designing a data lake on Amazon S3. Data is ingested from various sources, including IoT devices, and must be stored in a cost-effective manner. The data access patterns are unpredictable; some data is accessed frequently for a few days, then rarely accessed. The company wants to minimize storage costs while ensuring data is available within minutes when accessed. Which storage class should they use for the data?
mediumWhy B: Option D is correct because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data between frequent and infrequent access tiers based on usage patterns, with no retrieval charges for infrequent access, and data is available within milliseconds. Option A is wrong because S3 Standard is expensive for rarely accessed data. Option B is wrong because S3 Glacier Deep Archive has retrieval times of 12 hours. Option C is wrong because S3 One Zone-IA is not durable enough for a data lake.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.
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