- A
Configure an S3 event notification on the CloudTrail log bucket to trigger a Lambda function.
Why wrong: S3 events are not for real-time API monitoring.
- B
Set up a CloudTrail trail with log file validation enabled.
Why wrong: Log file validation does not provide alerts.
- C
Use AWS Config to create a rule that checks for access keys.
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not API events.
- D
Create an Amazon EventBridge rule that matches the 'CreateAccessKey' API call and sends an SNS notification.
EventBridge can filter CloudTrail events and trigger actions.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing 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 is using AWS CloudTrail to log all API activity. The security team wants to be alerted when an IAM user creates a new access key. What is the simplest way to achieve this?
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
Create an Amazon EventBridge rule that matches the 'CreateAccessKey' API call and sends an SNS notification.
Option D is correct because Amazon EventBridge can be configured with a rule that matches the 'CreateAccessKey' API call from CloudTrail and sends an SNS notification to alert the security team. Option A is incorrect because S3 event notifications are triggered by object-level operations (e.g., object created/deleted) in the S3 bucket, not by API calls logged by CloudTrail. Option B is incorrect because enabling log file validation on a CloudTrail trail only ensures the integrity of log files, it does not generate alerts. Option C is incorrect because AWS Config rules evaluate the configuration state of AWS resources (e.g., whether an IAM user has a key older than 90 days), not real-time API calls.
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 an S3 event notification on the CloudTrail log bucket to trigger a Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
S3 events are not for real-time API monitoring.
- ✗
Set up a CloudTrail trail with log file validation enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Log file validation does not provide alerts.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to create a rule that checks for access keys.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not API events.
- ✓
Create an Amazon EventBridge rule that matches the 'CreateAccessKey' API call and sends an SNS notification.
Why this is correct
EventBridge can filter CloudTrail events and trigger actions.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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.
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Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an Amazon EventBridge rule that matches the 'CreateAccessKey' API call and sends an SNS notification. — Option D is correct because Amazon EventBridge can be configured with a rule that matches the 'CreateAccessKey' API call from CloudTrail and sends an SNS notification to alert the security team. Option A is incorrect because S3 event notifications are triggered by object-level operations (e.g., object created/deleted) in the S3 bucket, not by API calls logged by CloudTrail. Option B is incorrect because enabling log file validation on a CloudTrail trail only ensures the integrity of log files, it does not generate alerts. Option C is incorrect because AWS Config rules evaluate the configuration state of AWS resources (e.g., whether an IAM user has a key older than 90 days), not real-time API calls.
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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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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