Question 654 of 1,546
Networking and Content DeliveryeasyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Troubleshooting CloudFront Static Website: Enable S3 Static Website Hosting

This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 has deployed a static website on Amazon S3 with public read access. They want to use Amazon CloudFront to serve the content with HTTPS. They create a CloudFront distribution with the S3 bucket as an origin. After configuring the distribution, users report that they are unable to access the website via the CloudFront URL. The CloudFront distribution status is 'Deployed'. The S3 bucket policy allows GetObject for any principal. What is the most likely reason for the issue?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "most likely"

    Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

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

The CloudFront distribution is not associated with an origin access identity (OAI).

The most likely reason is that the S3 bucket is not configured for static website hosting. CloudFront can use either the S3 REST endpoint or the static website hosting endpoint as the origin. If the bucket is not enabled for static website hosting, the website endpoint is not available. Without the website endpoint, CloudFront cannot serve the index document or handle error pages, which are essential for a static website. Even though the distribution is deployed and the bucket policy allows public read access, using the REST endpoint will not serve the website correctly. To resolve this, the company should enable static website hosting on the S3 bucket and configure the CloudFront origin to use the bucket's website endpoint. Option B is incorrect because the bucket policy already allows public read, so CloudFront does not need additional access unless an Origin Access Identity is used. Option C is incorrect because CloudFront supports HTTPS by default for its default domain. Option D is incorrect because an OAI is not required when the bucket allows public access.

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.

  • The S3 bucket is not configured for static website hosting; CloudFront should use the bucket's website endpoint as the origin.

    Why it's wrong here

    For static website hosting, the origin must be the S3 website endpoint, not the bucket's REST endpoint.

  • The S3 bucket policy does not grant CloudFront access.

    Why it's wrong here

    The bucket policy allows public read, so CloudFront can access it.

  • The CloudFront distribution is not configured to use HTTPS.

    Why it's wrong here

    CloudFront supports HTTPS by default for its domain.

  • The CloudFront distribution is not associated with an origin access identity (OAI).

    Why this is correct

    OAI is not required for public buckets.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

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.
  • Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

  • Underline the problem statement mentally.
  • 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.

Visual reference

Client Recursive Resolver Root DNS (13 root servers) TLD DNS (.com, .org, …) Authoritative example.com query IP addr answer

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage ClassMin DurationRetrievalUse Case
S3 StandardNoneImmediateFrequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA30 daysImmediateInfrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA30 daysImmediateNon-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-TieringNoneImmediate–hoursUnknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant90 daysMillisecondsArchive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible90 daysMinutes–hoursArchive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive180 daysHoursLong-term compliance archive

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SOA-C02 question test?

Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The CloudFront distribution is not associated with an origin access identity (OAI). — The most likely reason is that the S3 bucket is not configured for static website hosting. CloudFront can use either the S3 REST endpoint or the static website hosting endpoint as the origin. If the bucket is not enabled for static website hosting, the website endpoint is not available. Without the website endpoint, CloudFront cannot serve the index document or handle error pages, which are essential for a static website. Even though the distribution is deployed and the bucket policy allows public read access, using the REST endpoint will not serve the website correctly. To resolve this, the company should enable static website hosting on the S3 bucket and configure the CloudFront origin to use the bucket's website endpoint. Option B is incorrect because the bucket policy already allows public read, so CloudFront does not need additional access unless an Origin Access Identity is used. Option C is incorrect because CloudFront supports HTTPS by default for its default domain. Option D is incorrect because an OAI is not required when the bucket allows public access.

What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?

Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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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.