The answer is that the email subscription to the SNS topic has not been confirmed. When you create an SNS topic with an email endpoint, AWS sends a confirmation email to that address, and the subscriber must click the link inside it to verify ownership. Until that confirmation is complete, the subscription status remains “PendingConfirmation,” and SNS will not deliver any messages to that endpoint, even if the CloudWatch alarm enters the ALARM state and successfully publishes to the topic. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SNS subscription lifecycle and common misconfigurations—many candidates assume that simply adding an email address is enough. A frequent trap is overlooking the confirmation step, especially when testing alarms in a hurry. Remember the memory tip: “No click, no send”—if the subscription status isn’t “Confirmed,” notifications will never arrive.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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. 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 investigating why a CloudWatch alarm did not trigger an SNS notification. The alarm state changed to ALARM, but the notification was not sent. The SNS topic has a subscription to an email endpoint. 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 email subscription to the SNS topic has not been confirmed.
The most likely cause is that the email subscription to the SNS topic has not been confirmed. When an SNS topic has an email subscription, AWS sends a confirmation email to the endpoint, and the subscriber must click the confirmation link before notifications can be delivered. Until the subscription is confirmed, the SNS topic will not send any messages to that endpoint, even if the CloudWatch alarm enters the ALARM state and successfully publishes to the topic.
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's evaluation period is too short.
Why it's wrong here
Evaluation period affects when the alarm triggers, not the delivery.
✓
The email subscription to the SNS topic has not been confirmed.
Why this is correct
Email subscriptions require confirmation before receiving messages.
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's actions are not configured to send to the SNS topic.
Why it's wrong here
If actions were misconfigured, the alarm would not send, but the question implies it's set up.
✗
The SNS topic is encrypted with a KMS key that the alarm does not have permissions to use.
Why it's wrong here
Alarms do not need KMS permissions to publish to SNS; the topic's policy controls access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume configuring the alarm to publish to an SNS topic is sufficient, overlooking the mandatory subscription confirmation step for email endpoints, which is a distinct and separate requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SNS email subscriptions require a two-step confirmation process to prevent unauthorized subscriptions: AWS sends a subscription confirmation email containing a unique link that must be clicked within three days. Until confirmed, the subscription status shows 'PendingConfirmation' and no messages are delivered. This is a common oversight during initial setup, especially when testing CloudWatch alarms with email notifications, as the confirmation email may be missed or filtered as spam.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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 email subscription to the SNS topic has not been confirmed. — The most likely cause is that the email subscription to the SNS topic has not been confirmed. When an SNS topic has an email subscription, AWS sends a confirmation email to the endpoint, and the subscriber must click the confirmation link before notifications can be delivered. Until the subscription is confirmed, the SNS topic will not send any messages to that endpoint, even if the CloudWatch alarm enters the ALARM state and successfully publishes to the topic.
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.
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Question Discussion
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