- A
AWS Cost Explorer
Why wrong: AWS Cost Explorer provides cost and usage reports and forecasts, but it does not provide specific EC2 rightsizing recommendations based on utilization metrics.
- B
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor includes a cost optimization check for idle instances and underutilized Amazon EBS volumes, but it does not provide detailed rightsizing recommendations for EC2 instance types.
- C
AWS Compute Optimizer
AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning to analyze historical utilization and provides actionable recommendations to right-size EC2 instances, Auto Scaling groups, and other resources, helping to reduce costs and improve performance.
- D
Amazon CloudWatch Dashboard
Why wrong: CloudWatch Dashboards display metrics but do not generate recommendations; they are used for visualization, not automated optimization.
SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cost and performance optimization. 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. A key principle to apply: aWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations.. 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 manages a fleet of Amazon EC2 instances. The administrator needs to identify underutilized instances and receive recommendations for instance type changes to reduce costs. Which AWS service should be used to provide these rightsizing recommendations?
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
AWS Compute Optimizer
AWS Compute Optimizer is the correct service because it uses machine learning to analyze historical utilization metrics (CPU, memory, network, and storage) of EC2 instances and generates rightsizing recommendations, including instance type changes, to reduce costs and improve performance. It directly addresses the need to identify underutilized instances and provide actionable recommendations for cost optimization.
Key principle: AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Cost Explorer
Why it's wrong here
AWS Cost Explorer provides cost and usage reports and forecasts, but it does not provide specific EC2 rightsizing recommendations based on utilization metrics.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor includes a cost optimization check for idle instances and underutilized Amazon EBS volumes, but it does not provide detailed rightsizing recommendations for EC2 instance types.
- ✓
AWS Compute Optimizer
Why this is correct
AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning to analyze historical utilization and provides actionable recommendations to right-size EC2 instances, Auto Scaling groups, and other resources, helping to reduce costs and improve performance.
Related concept
AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Dashboard
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Dashboards display metrics but do not generate recommendations; they are used for visualization, not automated optimization.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Compute Optimizer with AWS Trusted Advisor, because both offer cost optimization checks, but Compute Optimizer is the only service that provides detailed, ML-driven rightsizing recommendations for EC2 instance types based on historical utilization data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Compute Optimizer leverages over 70 million hours of anonymized AWS usage data to train its ML models, which analyze metrics like CPU utilization, memory utilization, network throughput, and disk I/O over a lookback period of up to 14 days (or 30 days for enhanced infrastructure metrics). It categorizes recommendations as 'Over-provisioned', 'Under-provisioned', or 'Optimized', and provides estimated monthly savings in USD. In a real-world scenario, an administrator might discover that a c5.xlarge instance running a web server consistently uses only 10% CPU and 2 GB of 8 GB RAM, prompting Compute Optimizer to recommend a t3.medium, reducing costs by 40% without performance impact.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations.
- It analyzes historical utilization for EC2 instances and Auto Scaling groups.
- Provides recommendations for optimal instance types to reduce costs and improve performance.
- Integrates with AWS Organizations for multi-account analysis.
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
AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations.
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.
Review aWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Cost and Performance Optimization — study guide chapter
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Cost and Performance Optimization practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Cost and Performance Optimization — This question tests Cost and Performance Optimization — AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Compute Optimizer — AWS Compute Optimizer is the correct service because it uses machine learning to analyze historical utilization metrics (CPU, memory, network, and storage) of EC2 instances and generates rightsizing recommendations, including instance type changes, to reduce costs and improve performance. It directly addresses the need to identify underutilized instances and provide actionable recommendations for cost optimization.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review aWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS Compute Optimizer uses machine learning for recommendations.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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