Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudTrail, as it is the dedicated service for auditing all API calls made within an AWS account, capturing every action taken via the AWS Management Console, SDKs, CLI, or other services. CloudTrail records detailed event history, including who made the call, from which source IP, and when, with logs stored by default for 90 days in the event history, making it the precise tool for a 90-day audit requirement. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between monitoring services: CloudWatch Logs handles application-level logs, not API calls; AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes; and S3 is simply storage. A common trap is confusing CloudTrail’s API auditing with CloudWatch’s log aggregation. Remember the mnemonic: “CloudTrail tracks the trail of API calls” — if it’s an API action, CloudTrail is the answer.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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 security engineer needs to audit all API calls made in an AWS account for the past 90 days. Which AWS service should the engineer use?
Amazon S3 access logs
Why wrong: Only logs S3 access, not all API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Records API calls for auditing.
AWS Config
Why wrong: Tracks configuration changes, not API calls.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why wrong: Not for API call auditing.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS CloudTrail
Option A is correct because CloudTrail logs API calls and can be configured to store logs for 90 days. Option B is wrong because CloudWatch Logs is for application logs, not API calls. Option C is wrong because S3 is storage, not an auditing service. Option D is wrong because Config is for resource configuration changes, not API calls.
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.
Amazon S3 access logs
Why it's wrong here
Only logs S3 access, not all API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
Records API calls for auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Tracks configuration changes, not API calls.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
Not for API call auditing.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which SCS-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.
Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail — Option A is correct because CloudTrail logs API calls and can be configured to store logs for 90 days. Option B is wrong because CloudWatch Logs is for application logs, not API calls. Option C is wrong because S3 is storage, not an auditing service. Option D is wrong because Config is for resource configuration changes, not API calls.
Identify which SCS-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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to log all API calls made in their AWS account for auditing. Which AWS service should be enabled to capture these logs?
easyWhy D: Option B is correct because AWS CloudTrail records API activity. Option A is wrong because VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic. Option C is wrong because CloudWatch Logs stores logs, not captures API calls. Option D is wrong because S3 is storage.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.
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