This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new 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 solutions architect is troubleshooting an issue where an EC2 instance cannot connect to the internet. The output of the describe-instances CLI command is shown in the exhibit. The instance is in a VPC with a public subnet that has a route table with a default route pointing to an internet gateway. The security group allows outbound traffic to 0.0.0.0/0. What is the MOST likely cause of the problem?
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.
The subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway.
Even with a public IP, the subnet must have a route to the internet gateway.
The instance does not have a public IP address.
Why wrong: The output shows a public IP: 54.123.45.67.
The instance is not in a running state.
Why wrong: The state is 'running'.
The security group is blocking outbound traffic.
Why wrong: The security group allows all outbound traffic.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway.
The stem states that the subnet has a route table with a default route to an internet gateway, but the exhibit shows the actual route table associated with the subnet does not contain that default route. Without the 0.0.0.0/0 route pointing to an internet gateway, traffic cannot reach the internet, even if the instance has a public IP and security group allows outbound traffic. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway.
Why this is correct
Even with a public IP, the subnet must have a route to the internet gateway.
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 instance does not have a public IP address.
Why it's wrong here
The output shows a public IP: 54.123.45.67.
The instance is not in a running state.
Why it's wrong here
The state is 'running'.
The security group is blocking outbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The security group allows all outbound traffic.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume a public IP address alone guarantees internet access, but they overlook the critical requirement of a route table entry pointing to an internet gateway for the subnet.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The output shows a public IP: 54.123.45.67.
Detailed technical explanation
For an EC2 instance in a public subnet to reach the internet, the subnet's route table must have a default route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to an internet gateway (igw-xxx). The internet gateway performs NAT for instances with public IPs, translating private IPs to public IPs for outbound traffic. Without this route, the VPC router drops packets destined for 0.0.0.0/0 because no next-hop is defined, even if the instance has a public IP and the security group permits outbound traffic.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Visual reference
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Design for New Solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All SAP-C02 questions
1,746 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
SAP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design for New Solutions.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway. — The stem states that the subnet has a route table with a default route to an internet gateway, but the exhibit shows the actual route table associated with the subnet does not contain that default route. Without the 0.0.0.0/0 route pointing to an internet gateway, traffic cannot reach the internet, even if the instance has a public IP and security group allows outbound traffic. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the subnet's route table does not have a route to the internet gateway.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.