Quick Answer
The correct answer is to increase the minimum, maximum, and default TTL values for the cache behavior. This works because longer Time-to-Live settings allow CloudFront to retain objects at edge locations for extended periods, directly improving the CloudFront cache hit ratio by reducing the frequency of requests that must travel back to the origin. For the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how caching policies directly impact origin load and performance—a common trap is confusing data transfer optimizations (like compression or protocol changes) with caching behavior. Remember, a low cache hit ratio almost always points to TTL or cache invalidation issues, not network or origin configuration. A useful memory tip: "TTL up, hits up, origin breathes."
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cost and performance optimization. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company uses Amazon CloudFront to distribute content globally. The SysOps administrator notices that the origin load is high and the cache hit ratio is low. What should the administrator do to improve the cache hit ratio and reduce origin load?
Change the origin protocol policy to HTTPS only.
Why wrong: Protocol change does not affect caching.
Add an additional origin server.
Why wrong: More origins do not improve caching.
Enable compression for the content.
Why wrong: Compression reduces bandwidth, not cache hits.
Increase the minimum, maximum, and default TTL values for the cache behavior.
Longer TTLs improve cache hit ratio.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Increase the minimum, maximum, and default TTL values for the cache behavior.
Option C is correct because increasing the TTL allows objects to be cached for longer, which increases the likelihood of cache hits. Option A is wrong because enabling compression reduces transfer size but does not affect cache hit ratio. Option B is wrong because using a different origin protocol does not change caching behavior. Option D is wrong because adding more origins does not improve cache hit ratio; it can actually complicate caching.
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.
Change the origin protocol policy to HTTPS only.
Why it's wrong here
Protocol change does not affect caching.
Add an additional origin server.
Why it's wrong here
More origins do not improve caching.
Enable compression for the content.
Why it's wrong here
Compression reduces bandwidth, not cache hits.
Increase the minimum, maximum, and default TTL values for the cache behavior.
Why this is correct
Longer TTLs improve cache hit ratio.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 SOA-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.
Cost and Performance Optimization — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Cost and Performance Optimization — This question tests Cost and Performance Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Increase the minimum, maximum, and default TTL values for the cache behavior. — Option C is correct because increasing the TTL allows objects to be cached for longer, which increases the likelihood of cache hits. Option A is wrong because enabling compression reduces transfer size but does not affect cache hit ratio. Option B is wrong because using a different origin protocol does not change caching behavior. Option D is wrong because adding more origins does not improve cache hit ratio; it can actually complicate caching.
Identify which SOA-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
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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