This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. An SAP application load balancer (ALB) is configured with the CloudFormation snippet. The ALB is not distributing traffic to the EC2 instances. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The target group is not associated with the load balancer
The snippet does not include a listener for the ALB. Without a listener, the ALB cannot accept traffic. The target group is defined but not associated with the ALB via a listener rule. The scheme is internet-facing, which is correct. The security group may allow traffic, but no listener exists.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
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 security group does not allow inbound traffic
Why it's wrong here
The security group is defined but not the primary issue; no listener exists.
✗
The target type is instance but the instances are not registered
Why it's wrong here
Instances can be registered later; without a listener, no traffic flows.
✓
The target group is not associated with the load balancer
Why this is correct
A listener is needed to associate the target group; missing listener prevents traffic distribution.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
The load balancer scheme is internet-facing but instances are in private subnets
Why it's wrong here
The scheme does not prevent traffic distribution if routing is correct.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
→Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
→Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
→Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PAS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Technology — This question tests Technology — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The target group is not associated with the load balancer — The snippet does not include a listener for the ALB. Without a listener, the ALB cannot accept traffic. The target group is defined but not associated with the ALB via a listener rule. The scheme is internet-facing, which is correct. The security group may allow traffic, but no listener exists.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PAS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Question Discussion
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