- A
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS on port 443 using the same ACM certificate. Configure health checks on the target group to use HTTP on port 80 with path /health.
This encrypts backend traffic, uses ACM for backend (same cert), and health checks use HTTP to avoid certificate issues.
- B
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTP health checks on port 80.
Why wrong: This does not encrypt traffic between ALB and instances.
- C
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS on port 443 using a self-signed certificate. Configure health checks to use HTTPS on port 443.
Why wrong: Self-signed certificates are not trusted by default and health checks may fail.
- D
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS health checks on port 443 using a separate ACM certificate.
Why wrong: Using a separate ACM certificate for health checks is unnecessary and could cause complexity.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 designing a new web application that will be deployed on AWS. The application consists of an Application Load Balancer (ALB) in front of an Auto Scaling group of EC2 instances running a web server. The application must be highly available across multiple Availability Zones. The company expects variable traffic patterns, including sudden spikes. The operations team wants to minimize manual intervention. The application stores session state in a shared data store. The security team requires that all traffic between the ALB and the EC2 instances be encrypted. The company is using AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) to manage SSL/TLS certificates. The ALB must terminate SSL/TLS connections. Which combination of actions should the company take to meet these requirements?
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.
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
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS on port 443 using the same ACM certificate. Configure health checks on the target group to use HTTP on port 80 with path /health.
Option A is correct because it meets all requirements: the ALB terminates SSL/TLS using an ACM certificate on an HTTPS listener, encrypts traffic between ALB and EC2 instances by using HTTPS on the target group with the same ACM certificate (mutual TLS is not required; the ALB re-encrypts using the same certificate), and uses HTTP health checks on port 80 to avoid certificate validation issues during health checks. This ensures end-to-end encryption, high availability across multiple AZs, and minimizes manual intervention by automating certificate management with ACM.
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.
- ✓
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS on port 443 using the same ACM certificate. Configure health checks on the target group to use HTTP on port 80 with path /health.
Why this is correct
This encrypts backend traffic, uses ACM for backend (same cert), and health checks use HTTP to avoid certificate issues.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTP health checks on port 80.
Why it's wrong here
This does not encrypt traffic between ALB and instances.
- ✗
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS on port 443 using a self-signed certificate. Configure health checks to use HTTPS on port 443.
Why it's wrong here
Self-signed certificates are not trusted by default and health checks may fail.
- ✗
Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS health checks on port 443 using a separate ACM certificate.
Why it's wrong here
Using a separate ACM certificate for health checks is unnecessary and could cause complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume health checks must use the same protocol as the target group traffic, but AWS recommends using HTTP health checks even for HTTPS target groups to avoid certificate validation failures and ensure reliable health monitoring.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When an ALB terminates SSL/TLS, it decrypts client traffic and can re-encrypt traffic to targets using the same or different certificate. For HTTPS target groups, the ALB performs a TLS handshake with the target using the certificate specified in the target group configuration; if the certificate is self-signed or not trusted by the ALB, the handshake fails. Health checks on HTTPS targets require the ALB to validate the target's certificate, which can cause false negatives if certificates are not properly trusted; using HTTP health checks avoids this issue entirely while still allowing encrypted traffic for actual requests.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the ALB with an HTTPS listener using an ACM certificate. Configure the target group with HTTPS on port 443 using the same ACM certificate. Configure health checks on the target group to use HTTP on port 80 with path /health. — Option A is correct because it meets all requirements: the ALB terminates SSL/TLS using an ACM certificate on an HTTPS listener, encrypts traffic between ALB and EC2 instances by using HTTPS on the target group with the same ACM certificate (mutual TLS is not required; the ALB re-encrypts using the same certificate), and uses HTTP health checks on port 80 to avoid certificate validation issues during health checks. This ensures end-to-end encryption, high availability across multiple AZs, and minimizes manual intervention by automating certificate management with ACM.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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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