← SAP-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 396 of 1,746

Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Describe-Instances and Terminating Instances

This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing 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.

Network Topology

Refer to the exhibit.

$ aws ec2 describe-instances --region us-east-1 --filters Name=tag:Name,Values=WebServer --query 'Reservations[].Instances[].{ID:InstanceId,State:State.Name,Type:InstanceType,LaunchTime:LaunchTime}' --output table

A DevOps engineer runs the above command. The Auto Scaling group for WebServer instances has a desired count of 3, but the engineer notices that there are 5 instances with the same tag. What is the MOST likely 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.

Network Topology

A
The Auto Scaling group has a cooldown period that prevents immediate termination.
Why wrong: Incorrect. A cooldown period prevents scaling actions but does not prevent termination of instances. Instances can still be terminated during a cooldown, so this does not explain the extra instances.
B
The command is filtering by the wrong tag key.
Correct. The tag key in the filter (Name) may not match the actual tag key on some instances. If the tag key is different (e.g., 'name' or 'web'), those instances would not be returned, but the engineer sees 5 instances, indicating the filter is matching instances from outside the ASG.
C
The other two instances are in a 'terminating' state and are not returned by the command.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The describe-instances command returns instances in any state, including 'terminating' and 'shutting-down'. Therefore, if two instances were in 'terminating' state, they would still appear in the output, and the engineer would see 5 instances. This does not explain the discrepancy.
D
The instances were launched with a different launch template that does not have the tag.
Why wrong: Incorrect. If instances were launched with a different launch template that does not have the tag, they would not have the tag 'Name=WebServer'. Since the engineer sees instances with that tag, this option is not supported.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The command is filtering by the wrong tag key.

Option B is correct because the command filters by tag:Name=WebServer, but if the engineer notices 5 instances with the same tag, it indicates that the tag key used in the filter might be incorrect. For example, if some instances have the tag 'Name' incorrectly capitalized or a different tag key, they would not be matched by the filter. However, the engineer sees 5 instances, meaning the filter returns those 5, but the ASG desired count is 3. The most likely explanation is that the filter is matching instances that are not part of the ASG because they have a different tag key that coincidentally matches the filter. Option C is incorrect because instances in 'terminating' state are still returned by the describe-instances command, so they would appear in the output. Options A and D are less likely: cooldown does not prevent termination, and instances launched with a different launch template could still have the same tag.

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.

✗
The Auto Scaling group has a cooldown period that prevents immediate termination.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A cooldown period prevents scaling actions but does not prevent termination of instances. Instances can still be terminated during a cooldown, so this does not explain the extra instances.
✓
The command is filtering by the wrong tag key.
Why this is correct
Correct. The tag key in the filter (Name) may not match the actual tag key on some instances. If the tag key is different (e.g., 'name' or 'web'), those instances would not be returned, but the engineer sees 5 instances, indicating the filter is matching instances from outside the ASG.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The other two instances are in a 'terminating' state and are not returned by the command.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The describe-instances command returns instances in any state, including 'terminating' and 'shutting-down'. Therefore, if two instances were in 'terminating' state, they would still appear in the output, and the engineer would see 5 instances. This does not explain the discrepancy.
✗
The instances were launched with a different launch template that does not have the tag.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If instances were launched with a different launch template that does not have the tag, they would not have the tag 'Name=WebServer'. Since the engineer sees instances with that tag, this option is not supported.

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.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
Incorrect. The describe-instances command returns instances in any state, including 'terminating' and 'shutting-down'. Therefore, if two instances were in 'terminating' state, they would still appear in the output, and the engineer would see 5 instances. This does not explain the discrepancy.

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 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. 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.

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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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: The command is filtering by the wrong tag key. — Option B is correct because the command filters by tag:Name=WebServer, but if the engineer notices 5 instances with the same tag, it indicates that the tag key used in the filter might be incorrect. For example, if some instances have the tag 'Name' incorrectly capitalized or a different tag key, they would not be matched by the filter. However, the engineer sees 5 instances, meaning the filter returns those 5, but the ASG desired count is 3. The most likely explanation is that the filter is matching instances that are not part of the ASG because they have a different tag key that coincidentally matches the filter. Option C is incorrect because instances in 'terminating' state are still returned by the describe-instances command, so they would appear in the output. Options A and D are less likely: cooldown does not prevent termination, and instances launched with a different launch template could still have the same tag.

What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?

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?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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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.