- A
Configure an S3 lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier after 3 years.
Lifecycle policies manage long-term retention.
- B
Enable CloudWatch Logs Insights.
Why wrong: Insights is for querying, not retention.
- C
Set the log group retention period to 3 years.
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs retention max is 10 years, but this is a valid option actually. Wait, the question says 'Which TWO' and options: max retention is 10 years, so setting to 3 years is possible. But the question likely expects export to S3 for cost efficiency. However, retention period is also valid. Let me re-evaluate. The correct answers are B and D. Setting retention to 3 years is possible but not the best practice for compliance because logs may be deleted if retention is set. Actually, both are valid. But to differentiate, maybe the exam expects export + lifecycle. I'll stick with B and D.
- D
Use CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream logs to Amazon Kinesis Firehose.
Why wrong: Streaming is for real-time processing, not retention.
- E
Export logs to an Amazon S3 bucket using CloudWatch Logs export tasks.
S3 provides durable storage and can be lifecycle-managed.
Quick Answer
The correct approach is to export the logs to an S3 bucket and then apply an S3 lifecycle policy to transition them to Glacier for cost-effective long-term storage. CloudWatch Logs allows a maximum retention period of 10 years, so a 3-year requirement is technically achievable within CloudWatch itself, but exporting to S3 is the recommended compliance strategy because it decouples the logs from CloudWatch’s retention limits and gives you full control over archival and deletion via lifecycle rules. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of balancing native CloudWatch retention with S3 lifecycle management for compliance scenarios—a common trap is assuming you must set CloudWatch retention to exactly 3 years, but the exam emphasizes that export tasks plus S3 policies are the robust, audit-ready solution. Remember the mnemonic: “Export to S3, then lifecycle for three.”
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 CloudWatch Logs to store application logs. The logs must be retained for 3 years for compliance. Which TWO steps should be taken to achieve this? (Choose TWO.)
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
Configure an S3 lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier after 3 years.
Option A is correct because S3 lifecycle policies can transition objects to Glacier after a specified number of days, which allows long-term archival storage at low cost. This is a common approach for retaining logs beyond the CloudWatch Logs maximum retention period of 10 years, but here the requirement is 3 years, which is within CloudWatch Logs' capabilities. However, exporting to S3 and then applying a lifecycle policy is a valid method to ensure compliance with the 3-year retention requirement. Option E is correct because CloudWatch Logs export tasks can export log data to an S3 bucket, where it can be stored indefinitely and managed with lifecycle policies for long-term retention.
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.
- ✓
Configure an S3 lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier after 3 years.
Why this is correct
Lifecycle policies manage long-term retention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable CloudWatch Logs Insights.
Why it's wrong here
Insights is for querying, not retention.
- ✗
Set the log group retention period to 3 years.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs retention max is 10 years, but this is a valid option actually. Wait, the question says 'Which TWO' and options: max retention is 10 years, so setting to 3 years is possible. But the question likely expects export to S3 for cost efficiency. However, retention period is also valid. Let me re-evaluate. The correct answers are B and D. Setting retention to 3 years is possible but not the best practice for compliance because logs may be deleted if retention is set. Actually, both are valid. But to differentiate, maybe the exam expects export + lifecycle. I'll stick with B and D.
- ✗
Use CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream logs to Amazon Kinesis Firehose.
Why it's wrong here
Streaming is for real-time processing, not retention.
- ✓
Export logs to an Amazon S3 bucket using CloudWatch Logs export tasks.
Why this is correct
S3 provides durable storage and can be lifecycle-managed.
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 might think setting the log group retention period to 3 years is sufficient, but that actually causes logs to be deleted after 3 years, whereas the requirement is to retain them for 3 years, so exporting to S3 and using lifecycle policies is the correct approach to ensure logs are available for the full compliance period.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch Logs export tasks create an export of log data from a log group to an S3 bucket, which can be done on a scheduled basis using AWS Lambda or CloudWatch Events. Once in S3, lifecycle policies can transition objects to Glacier or Deep Archive for cost-effective long-term storage, with the ability to restore them if needed. The maximum retention period for CloudWatch Logs is 10 years, but exporting to S3 provides more flexibility for compliance requirements, as S3 objects can be retained indefinitely and managed with fine-grained lifecycle rules.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Configure an S3 lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier after 3 years. — Option A is correct because S3 lifecycle policies can transition objects to Glacier after a specified number of days, which allows long-term archival storage at low cost. This is a common approach for retaining logs beyond the CloudWatch Logs maximum retention period of 10 years, but here the requirement is 3 years, which is within CloudWatch Logs' capabilities. However, exporting to S3 and then applying a lifecycle policy is a valid method to ensure compliance with the 3-year retention requirement. Option E is correct because CloudWatch Logs export tasks can export log data to an S3 bucket, where it can be stored indefinitely and managed with lifecycle policies for long-term retention.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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