- A
In the central account, create an IAM role that trusts the source accounts and allows PutLogEvents.
Why wrong: The destination account does not need to assume a role; the source accounts put logs to the destination.
- B
In the central account, create a CloudWatch Logs destination and attach a resource policy that grants the source accounts permission to write logs.
The destination and resource policy are required for cross-account log delivery.
- C
In each source account, configure a subscription filter on the log groups to send log events to the central account's CloudWatch Logs destination.
Subscription filters send logs to the destination.
- D
In the central account, create a log group with the same name as the source accounts' log groups.
Why wrong: Log group names do not need to match; the destination receives logs from any source.
- E
In each source account, create a Kinesis Data Firehose delivery stream that sends logs to the central account's S3 bucket.
Why wrong: Direct subscription filters to a destination is the standard approach, not Firehose.
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 SysOps administrator is setting up centralized logging for multiple AWS accounts using CloudWatch Logs. Which TWO actions should the administrator take to ensure that logs from all accounts are aggregated in a single account?
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
In the central account, create a CloudWatch Logs destination and attach a resource policy that grants the source accounts permission to write logs.
Option B is correct because a CloudWatch Logs destination in the central account, combined with a resource policy that grants the source accounts permission to write logs, is the standard mechanism for cross-account log aggregation. The destination acts as a target for subscription filters, and the resource policy explicitly allows the source accounts to call the PutLogEvents API against that destination. This setup ensures that log events from source accounts are delivered to the central account without requiring IAM roles or additional infrastructure.
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.
- ✗
In the central account, create an IAM role that trusts the source accounts and allows PutLogEvents.
Why it's wrong here
The destination account does not need to assume a role; the source accounts put logs to the destination.
- ✓
In the central account, create a CloudWatch Logs destination and attach a resource policy that grants the source accounts permission to write logs.
Why this is correct
The destination and resource policy are required for cross-account log delivery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
In each source account, configure a subscription filter on the log groups to send log events to the central account's CloudWatch Logs destination.
Why this is correct
Subscription filters send logs to the destination.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
In the central account, create a log group with the same name as the source accounts' log groups.
Why it's wrong here
Log group names do not need to match; the destination receives logs from any source.
- ✗
In each source account, create a Kinesis Data Firehose delivery stream that sends logs to the central account's S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Direct subscription filters to a destination is the standard approach, not Firehose.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse IAM cross-account roles with CloudWatch Logs destinations, assuming that a role with PutLogEvents permissions is sufficient, when in fact CloudWatch Logs requires a destination resource policy for cross-account delivery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a CloudWatch Logs destination is a logical entity that encapsulates a target log group in the central account and a resource policy that defines which source accounts or ARNs can write to it. The subscription filter in the source account uses the destination ARN as the target, and when log events match the filter pattern, CloudWatch Logs calls the PutLogEvents API on the destination, which then writes to the central log group. A subtle behavior is that the destination resource policy must include the source account IDs or specific log group ARNs, and the source account's subscription filter must have the correct IAM permissions to use the destination, which is often handled by a service-linked role.
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
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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: In the central account, create a CloudWatch Logs destination and attach a resource policy that grants the source accounts permission to write logs. — Option B is correct because a CloudWatch Logs destination in the central account, combined with a resource policy that grants the source accounts permission to write logs, is the standard mechanism for cross-account log aggregation. The destination acts as a target for subscription filters, and the resource policy explicitly allows the source accounts to call the PutLogEvents API against that destination. This setup ensures that log events from source accounts are delivered to the central account without requiring IAM roles or additional infrastructure.
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
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