The answer is that the CPU utilization spikes above 80% for less than 10 minutes at a time. This is correct because a CloudWatch alarm configured for 2 consecutive periods of 5 minutes requires the metric to breach the threshold for the full duration of both evaluation periods—totaling 10 uninterrupted minutes—before the alarm state changes to ALARM. If the utilization exceeds 80% for only, say, 8 minutes, the alarm evaluates each 5-minute window independently and never sees two consecutive periods both in breach, so it remains in OK state. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the consecutive periods requirement, a common trap where candidates assume any breach triggers the alarm. Remember: consecutive means back-to-back, full periods—not just cumulative time. Memory tip: think of it as needing two full “check marks” in a row, not just a total score above the line.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 SysOps administrator is troubleshooting an issue where an EC2 instance's CPU utilization is consistently above 90%, but no CloudWatch alarm is triggered. The alarm is configured to monitor the 'CPUUtilization' metric with a threshold of 80% for 2 consecutive periods of 5 minutes. What is the most likely cause?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The CPU utilization spikes above 80% for less than 10 minutes at a time.
Option C is correct because the CloudWatch alarm requires 2 consecutive periods of 5 minutes (i.e., 10 minutes total) where the CPU utilization exceeds 80%. If the CPU utilization spikes above 80% for less than 10 minutes at a time, the alarm will not trigger because it never meets the consecutive evaluation period requirement. The alarm evaluates each 5-minute period independently, and only when both consecutive periods breach the threshold does the alarm state change to ALARM.
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 alarm is in the 'OK' state and not 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA'.
Why it's wrong here
The alarm may be in OK state but not triggering due to evaluation periods.
✗
The CPUUtilization metric is not enabled by default for EC2 instances.
Why it's wrong here
CPUUtilization is enabled by default.
✓
The CPU utilization spikes above 80% for less than 10 minutes at a time.
Why this is correct
The alarm requires 2 consecutive periods (10 minutes) of breach.
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.
✗
The alarm period is set to 5 minutes, but the metric is reported every 1 minute.
Why it's wrong here
The period is fine; the issue is the number of evaluation periods.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume any breach of the threshold triggers the alarm immediately, but they overlook the 'consecutive periods' requirement, which means the alarm only fires after the condition persists for the full evaluation window (e.g., 10 minutes for 2 periods of 5 minutes).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch alarms use the 'evaluation periods' parameter to specify how many consecutive periods must breach the threshold before the alarm state changes. For a 5-minute period, the alarm evaluates the metric at the end of each 5-minute window, and if the average CPU utilization over that window exceeds 80%, it counts as one breach. Only when two consecutive 5-minute windows both breach the threshold does the alarm transition to ALARM. This design prevents false alarms from transient spikes and is controlled by the 'evaluationPeriods' and 'period' parameters in the alarm configuration.
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 — 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: The CPU utilization spikes above 80% for less than 10 minutes at a time. — Option C is correct because the CloudWatch alarm requires 2 consecutive periods of 5 minutes (i.e., 10 minutes total) where the CPU utilization exceeds 80%. If the CPU utilization spikes above 80% for less than 10 minutes at a time, the alarm will not trigger because it never meets the consecutive evaluation period requirement. The alarm evaluates each 5-minute period independently, and only when both consecutive periods breach the threshold does the alarm state change to ALARM.
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.
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.
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 →
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.
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.