- A
CloudTrail + Amazon S3 + Amazon SNS
Why wrong: Storing CloudTrail logs in S3 does not provide real-time alerting; you would need to monitor S3 for new objects, which adds complexity and delay.
- B
CloudTrail + Amazon CloudWatch Logs + Amazon SNS
Why wrong: You can send CloudTrail logs to CloudWatch Logs and create a metric filter to count specific events, then set an alarm on that metric to trigger SNS. This works but requires more steps than using EventBridge.
- C
CloudTrail + AWS Config + Amazon SNS
Why wrong: AWS Config is used for configuration compliance and resource change tracking, not for real-time API event alerting.
- D
CloudTrail + Amazon EventBridge + Amazon SNS
EventBridge can directly consume CloudTrail events and apply rules to match specific API actions, triggering SNS notifications with low latency.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 AWS CloudTrail to record all API activity. The SysOps administrator needs to be alerted in real time when an IAM user creates a new access key. Which combination of AWS services should be used to create this alert?
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
CloudTrail + Amazon EventBridge + Amazon SNS
Option D is correct because Amazon EventBridge can directly consume CloudTrail events in real time and trigger an SNS notification when an IAM user creates a new access key. EventBridge provides a serverless event bus that matches specific API calls (e.g., CreateAccessKey) using event patterns, enabling immediate alerting without additional polling or log processing.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
CloudTrail + Amazon S3 + Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
Storing CloudTrail logs in S3 does not provide real-time alerting; you would need to monitor S3 for new objects, which adds complexity and delay.
- ✗
CloudTrail + Amazon CloudWatch Logs + Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
You can send CloudTrail logs to CloudWatch Logs and create a metric filter to count specific events, then set an alarm on that metric to trigger SNS. This works but requires more steps than using EventBridge.
- ✗
CloudTrail + AWS Config + Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config is used for configuration compliance and resource change tracking, not for real-time API event alerting.
- ✓
CloudTrail + Amazon EventBridge + Amazon SNS
Why this is correct
EventBridge can directly consume CloudTrail events and apply rules to match specific API actions, triggering SNS notifications with low latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume CloudWatch Logs is required for any CloudTrail-based alerting, but EventBridge provides a simpler, lower-latency, and more direct integration for real-time API event monitoring.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
EventBridge uses event patterns based on the 'detail-type' and 'source' fields from CloudTrail events; for IAM access key creation, the pattern matches 'source': ['aws.iam'] and 'detail-type': ['AWS API Call via CloudTrail'] with 'eventName': ['CreateAccessKey']. EventBridge delivers events within seconds of the API call, making it suitable for real-time alerting, whereas CloudWatch Logs and S3 introduce inherent batching or processing delays.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: CloudTrail + Amazon EventBridge + Amazon SNS — Option D is correct because Amazon EventBridge can directly consume CloudTrail events in real time and trigger an SNS notification when an IAM user creates a new access key. EventBridge provides a serverless event bus that matches specific API calls (e.g., CreateAccessKey) using event patterns, enabling immediate alerting without additional polling or log processing.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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