- A
Create a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on 'ERROR' and publishes a metric.
Why wrong: Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) detects patterns in AWS service events, not in application log content. It cannot parse log strings to create metrics.
- B
Create a metric filter on the CloudWatch Logs log group that matches the term 'ERROR'.
A metric filter is the correct way to define a pattern to look for in log events. CloudWatch Logs uses the filter to publish a numeric metric to CloudWatch, which can then be used for alarms.
- C
Create a CloudWatch dashboard that displays the log group and set an alarm on the dashboard.
Why wrong: A CloudWatch dashboard only visualizes existing metrics or logs. It does not create new metrics from log data, and alarms cannot be set directly on dashboard widgets.
- D
Enable AWS CloudTrail on the log group and select the 'ERROR' pattern.
Why wrong: AWS CloudTrail records API calls made within an AWS account, not application log entries. It cannot be used to extract metrics from CloudWatch Logs.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 SysOps administrator needs to monitor application logs in Amazon CloudWatch Logs for the occurrence of the string 'ERROR'. The administrator wants to create a custom metric that counts the number of 'ERROR' occurrences per 5-minute window and trigger an Amazon CloudWatch alarm when the count exceeds 10. Which action should the administrator take to create the custom metric?
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
Create a metric filter on the CloudWatch Logs log group that matches the term 'ERROR'.
Option B is correct because metric filters in CloudWatch Logs allow you to define a pattern (e.g., 'ERROR') that is evaluated against incoming log events. The filter counts occurrences and publishes a custom metric to CloudWatch, which can then be used to set an alarm with a period of 5 minutes and a threshold of 10.
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.
- ✗
Create a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on 'ERROR' and publishes a metric.
Why it's wrong here
Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) detects patterns in AWS service events, not in application log content. It cannot parse log strings to create metrics.
- ✓
Create a metric filter on the CloudWatch Logs log group that matches the term 'ERROR'.
Why this is correct
A metric filter is the correct way to define a pattern to look for in log events. CloudWatch Logs uses the filter to publish a numeric metric to CloudWatch, which can then be used for alarms.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a CloudWatch dashboard that displays the log group and set an alarm on the dashboard.
Why it's wrong here
A CloudWatch dashboard only visualizes existing metrics or logs. It does not create new metrics from log data, and alarms cannot be set directly on dashboard widgets.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail on the log group and select the 'ERROR' pattern.
Why it's wrong here
AWS CloudTrail records API calls made within an AWS account, not application log entries. It cannot be used to extract metrics from CloudWatch Logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse CloudWatch Logs metric filters with CloudWatch Events or CloudTrail, thinking those services can parse log content, when in fact only metric filters can extract and count patterns from log data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Metric filters work by scanning log events in real time as they are ingested into CloudWatch Logs. The filter pattern uses a simplified syntax (e.g., 'ERROR') or can include JSON-based extraction. The count is emitted as a metric with a default unit of 'Count', and you can specify a custom metric namespace and name. The alarm period must match the metric's aggregation window (e.g., 5 minutes) to avoid misalignment.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
- →
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SOA-C02 questions
1,546 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SOA-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SOA-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation.
Reliability and Business Continuity practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Reliability and Business Continuity.
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Networking and Content Delivery practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Networking and Content Delivery.
Cost and Performance Optimization practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Cost and Performance Optimization.
SOA-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 fundamentals.
SOA-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 scenario.
SOA-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SOA-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Create a metric filter on the CloudWatch Logs log group that matches the term 'ERROR'. — Option B is correct because metric filters in CloudWatch Logs allow you to define a pattern (e.g., 'ERROR') that is evaluated against incoming log events. The filter counts occurrences and publishes a custom metric to CloudWatch, which can then be used to set an alarm with a period of 5 minutes and a threshold of 10.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SOA-C02 practice questions
- A company uses an Amazon DynamoDB table with on-demand capacity mode. The table handles a workload with a steady baselin…
- A company uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to store application logs. The SysOps administrator needs to count the occurrences…
- A SysOps administrator needs to monitor the CPU utilization of an Amazon EC2 instance and send an alert when it exceeds…
- A SysOps administrator needs to monitor the CPU utilization of an Amazon EC2 instance fleet and send an alert when the a…
- A company's security policy requires that all Amazon S3 buckets must have server-side encryption enabled. The SysOps adm…
- A SysOps administrator uses AWS CloudFormation to deploy a stack that includes an Amazon EC2 instance. The administrator…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.