Quick Answer
The answer is a stopped or terminated EC2 instance, because CloudWatch cannot collect metric data from an instance that is not running. When an instance is stopped, the underlying hypervisor ceases to operate the operating system, so no CPUUtilization data points are emitted to CloudWatch. Since the alarm requires metric data within its configured period to evaluate, the absence of any data forces the alarm into the INSUFFICIENT_DATA state rather than ALARM or OK. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how CloudWatch metrics depend on instance lifecycle states—a common trap is assuming a stopped instance still reports idle metrics, but in reality, no data is sent at all. Remember the memory tip: “Stopped means zero data, not zero utilization,” so if you see INSUFFICIENT_DATA, always check the instance state first.
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.
Refer to the exhibit. A SysOps administrator runs the command and sees the output. The administrator then creates a CloudWatch alarm on the CPUUtilization metric for this instance, but the alarm state remains 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA'. What is a likely cause?
Detailed monitoring is not enabled.
Why wrong: Basic monitoring provides data every 5 minutes.
The EC2 instance is stopped or terminated.
No data is emitted when the instance is stopped.
The instance is in a different AWS region.
Why wrong: The command is run in us-east-1, and the instance is in that region.
The metric name is misspelled.
Why wrong: The metric is correct.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The EC2 instance is stopped or terminated.
The command output shows the instance state is 'stopped'. CloudWatch cannot retrieve metrics from a stopped or terminated EC2 instance because the hypervisor is no longer running the instance's operating system or collecting CPU utilization data. When no metric data points are received for the configured alarm period, the alarm transitions to 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA' state.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Detailed monitoring is not enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Basic monitoring provides data every 5 minutes.
The EC2 instance is stopped or terminated.
Why this is correct
No data is emitted when the instance is stopped.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The instance is in a different AWS region.
Why it's wrong here
The command is run in us-east-1, and the instance is in that region.
The metric name is misspelled.
Why it's wrong here
The metric is correct.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates assume INSUFFICIENT_DATA always means a configuration issue (like missing detailed monitoring or wrong region), when in fact it often indicates the resource itself is not running and therefore not emitting any metrics.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The command is run in us-east-1, and the instance is in that region.
Detailed technical explanation
CloudWatch relies on the EC2 instance's hypervisor to emit CPUUtilization metrics every 5 minutes (or 1 minute with detailed monitoring). When an instance is stopped, the hypervisor stops sending metric data, and after the alarm's evaluation period (typically 2-3 consecutive missing data points), the alarm enters INSUFFICIENT_DATA. This state persists until the instance is started and new data points arrive. The same behavior occurs for terminated instances, but stopped instances can be restarted to resume metric collection.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The EC2 instance is stopped or terminated. — The command output shows the instance state is 'stopped'. CloudWatch cannot retrieve metrics from a stopped or terminated EC2 instance because the hypervisor is no longer running the instance's operating system or collecting CPU utilization data. When no metric data points are received for the configured alarm period, the alarm transitions to 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA' state.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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