- A
Amazon EventBridge with AWS Lambda
Why wrong: Amazon EventBridge with AWS Lambda is not the simplest monitoring solution for this use case, as it would require custom code.
- B
AWS Trusted Advisor with Amazon Simple Email Service (SES)
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor provides best practice checks and recommendations, not real-time metric monitoring and alerting.
- C
Amazon CloudWatch with an Amazon CloudWatch Alarm and Amazon SNS
Amazon CloudWatch can monitor the CPU utilization metric of the RDS instance. A CloudWatch alarm can be configured to trigger when CPU utilization exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive periods (each period is 1 minute by default), and the alarm can publish to an Amazon SNS topic to send notifications.
- D
Amazon Inspector with Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS)
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector is a security assessment service that scans for vulnerabilities, not a monitoring and notification service for metrics.
PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. 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.
An SAP workload on AWS uses a Multi-AZ RDS for Oracle instance for its database. The application team reports that a recent batch job caused a spike in database connections and CPU utilization, leading to performance degradation. The database administrator wants to be notified when CPU utilization exceeds 80% for 5 minutes. Which combination of AWS services should be used to set up this monitoring and notification?
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
Amazon CloudWatch with an Amazon CloudWatch Alarm and Amazon SNS
Option C is correct: Amazon CloudWatch can monitor the CPU utilization metric of the RDS instance. A CloudWatch alarm can be configured to trigger when CPU utilization exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive periods (each period is 1 minute by default), and the alarm can publish to an Amazon SNS topic to send notifications. Option A is incorrect because Amazon EventBridge with AWS Lambda would require custom code and is not the simplest monitoring solution for this use case. Option B is incorrect because AWS Trusted Advisor provides best practice checks and recommendations, not real-time metric monitoring and alerting. Option D is incorrect because Amazon Inspector is a security assessment service that scans for vulnerabilities, not a monitoring and notification service for metrics.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon EventBridge with AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Amazon EventBridge with AWS Lambda is not the simplest monitoring solution for this use case, as it would require custom code.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor with Amazon Simple Email Service (SES)
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor provides best practice checks and recommendations, not real-time metric monitoring and alerting.
- ✓
Amazon CloudWatch with an Amazon CloudWatch Alarm and Amazon SNS
Why this is correct
Amazon CloudWatch can monitor the CPU utilization metric of the RDS instance. A CloudWatch alarm can be configured to trigger when CPU utilization exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive periods (each period is 1 minute by default), and the alarm can publish to an Amazon SNS topic to send notifications.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Amazon Inspector with Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS)
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is a security assessment service that scans for vulnerabilities, not a monitoring and notification service for metrics.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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. ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PAS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
Technology — This question tests Technology — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon CloudWatch with an Amazon CloudWatch Alarm and Amazon SNS — Option C is correct: Amazon CloudWatch can monitor the CPU utilization metric of the RDS instance. A CloudWatch alarm can be configured to trigger when CPU utilization exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive periods (each period is 1 minute by default), and the alarm can publish to an Amazon SNS topic to send notifications. Option A is incorrect because Amazon EventBridge with AWS Lambda would require custom code and is not the simplest monitoring solution for this use case. Option B is incorrect because AWS Trusted Advisor provides best practice checks and recommendations, not real-time metric monitoring and alerting. Option D is incorrect because Amazon Inspector is a security assessment service that scans for vulnerabilities, not a monitoring and notification service for metrics.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PAS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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