SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 wants to store configuration data for multiple applications securely. Each application runs on Amazon EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The configuration includes database credentials and API keys. Which TWO services should be used together to achieve this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
IAM roles for EC2 instances.
Options A and B are correct. AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store securely stores configuration data, and IAM roles for EC2 provide secure access without hardcoding credentials. Option C is wrong because Secrets Manager is also a valid service but the question asks for two services. Option D is wrong because EC2 user data is not secure for credentials. Option E is wrong because S3 requires managing access keys.
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.
✗
AWS Secrets Manager.
Why it's wrong here
Secrets Manager is also valid but not needed if Parameter Store is used.
✗
Amazon S3 with bucket policies.
Why it's wrong here
S3 requires managing access keys.
✓
IAM roles for EC2 instances.
Why this is correct
IAM roles allow instances to access Parameter Store without credentials.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
EC2 user data scripts.
Why it's wrong here
User data is not secure for secrets.
✓
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store.
Why this is correct
Parameter Store securely stores configuration and secrets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: IAM roles for EC2 instances. — Options A and B are correct. AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store securely stores configuration data, and IAM roles for EC2 provide secure access without hardcoding credentials. Option C is wrong because Secrets Manager is also a valid service but the question asks for two services. Option D is wrong because EC2 user data is not secure for credentials. Option E is wrong because S3 requires managing access keys.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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