SAP-C02 Practice Question: Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization
A company plans to migrate a legacy on-premises web application to AWS using the 7 Rs (Rehost, Replatform, etc.). The application has tightly coupled components and unpredictable traffic. The team wants to minimize migration risk and time. Which migration strategy should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
SAP-C02 often tests the trade-off between speed/risk and cloud optimization, baiting candidates toward Replatform when the question emphasizes minimal risk and time.
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
✓
Rehost (lift-and-shift)
Rehost (lift-and-shift) moves the application to AWS with minimal changes, preserving the tightly coupled architecture and avoiding refactoring risk. Because the components are tightly coupled and traffic is unpredictable, re-architecting or replatforming would add time and risk. Rehost is the fastest, lowest-risk path when the goal is to minimize migration risk and time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replatform
Why it's wrong here
Replatform introduces managed-service changes that still require code and configuration work, extending migration time and risk for tightly coupled components. It is tempting because replatforming reduces long-term operational overhead, making it correct when modest changes are acceptable and time pressure is low.
- ✓
Rehost (lift-and-shift)
Why this is correct
Rehosting moves the tightly coupled application onto Amazon EC2 unchanged, avoiding refactoring risk and delivering the fastest migration timeline. The unpredictable traffic pattern is absorbed by EC2 Auto Scaling, which adds or removes instances on demand without altering the application's internal architecture.
- ✗
Repurchase
Why it's wrong here
Repurchase replaces the application with a different commercial product, requiring data migration, retraining and integration work that raises risk and time. It is tempting because moving to SaaS eliminates server management, which suits organisations willing to abandon custom functionality.
- ✗
Retire
Why it's wrong here
Retire decommissions the application, which contradicts a migration where the web application must continue serving users. It is tempting because retiring redundant systems genuinely reduces cost and risk, making it correct when the application is no longer needed by the business.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SAP-C02
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 using the 7 Rs strategy to migrate a monolithic application to AWS. They want to move the application to the cloud without modifying the code but plan to later refactor parts of it. Which migration strategy should they choose initially?
medium- A.Relocate
- B.Refactor
- C.Replatform
- ✓ D.Rehost
Why D: Rehost (lift-and-shift) is the correct initial strategy because it moves the application to AWS without modifying any code, aligning with the company's goal to first migrate without changes and later refactor. Relocate (A) involves moving the hypervisor, not the application itself. Refactor (B) involves rewriting or re-architecting the application, which is not desired initially. Replatform (C) involves making some cloud optimizations that could require minor code changes.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.