The answer is to enable detailed monitoring on the EC2 instances. This is correct because intermittent latency spikes with high CPU but no increase in request count suggest a resource contention issue that standard five-minute CloudWatch metrics are too coarse to capture; detailed monitoring provides one-minute granularity, allowing you to correlate the exact timing of CPU spikes with other system events like garbage collection, cron jobs, or noisy neighbors. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between scaling symptoms and root-cause diagnostics—a common trap is jumping to Auto Scaling or resizing instances, which only mask the intermittent behavior rather than reveal its source. Remember, when the problem is sporadic and request counts are flat, you need finer-grained data, not more capacity. Memory tip: “Spikes need specifics, not size”—detailed metrics pinpoint the pulse, while bigger instances just hide the hiccup.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 runs a web application on EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. Recently, the application has been experiencing intermittent latency spikes. CloudWatch metrics show high CPU utilization on the instances during these spikes, but no corresponding increase in request count. Which action is MOST likely to identify the root cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable detailed monitoring on the EC2 instances.
Option D is correct because detailed CloudWatch metrics (at 1-minute granularity) can provide more granular data to pinpoint when CPU spikes occur. Option A is wrong because increasing instance size only masks the symptom. Option B is wrong because scaling policies respond to sustained high CPU, not intermittent spikes. Option C is wrong because CloudTrail records API calls, not instance-level metrics.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Increase the instance size to handle the load.
Why it's wrong here
This masks the symptom but does not identify the root cause.
✓
Enable detailed monitoring on the EC2 instances.
Why this is correct
Detailed monitoring provides metrics at 1-minute granularity, helping to identify when spikes occur.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Scaling policies address sustained high CPU, not intermittent spikes.
✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log EC2 API calls.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not instance-level metrics like CPU.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
→Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
→Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
→Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
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. Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets. 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.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related SAP-C02 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable detailed monitoring on the EC2 instances. — Option D is correct because detailed CloudWatch metrics (at 1-minute granularity) can provide more granular data to pinpoint when CPU spikes occur. Option A is wrong because increasing instance size only masks the symptom. Option B is wrong because scaling policies respond to sustained high CPU, not intermittent spikes. Option C is wrong because CloudTrail records API calls, not instance-level metrics.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related SAP-C02 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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