- A
CloudWatch Metrics, CloudWatch Alarm, and AWS Lambda
Why wrong: Lambda not needed; SNS is simpler and cheaper.
- B
AWS Config, CloudWatch Alarm, and Amazon SNS
Why wrong: AWS Config monitors configuration changes, not CPU metrics.
- C
CloudWatch Metrics, CloudWatch Alarm, and Amazon SNS
Standard pattern for metric-based alerts.
- D
CloudWatch Logs, CloudWatch Alarm, and AWS Lambda
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs is for log data, not CPU metrics.
Question 642 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cost and performance optimization. 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 team is using CloudWatch to monitor CPU utilization of EC2 instances. They want to receive a notification when average CPU exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive minutes. Which combination of services should they use?
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
✓
CloudWatch Metrics, CloudWatch Alarm, and Amazon SNS
Option C is correct because CloudWatch Metrics collects the CPU utilization data from EC2 instances, a CloudWatch Alarm evaluates whether the average CPU exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive minutes (using a period of 300 seconds and 5 datapoints), and Amazon SNS publishes the notification to subscribers (e.g., email, SMS) when the alarm state transitions to ALARM. This combination directly fulfills the requirement without unnecessary services.
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.
- ✗
CloudWatch Metrics, CloudWatch Alarm, and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Lambda not needed; SNS is simpler and cheaper.
- ✗
AWS Config, CloudWatch Alarm, and Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config monitors configuration changes, not CPU metrics.
- ✓
CloudWatch Metrics, CloudWatch Alarm, and Amazon SNS
Why this is correct
Standard pattern for metric-based alerts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
CloudWatch Logs, CloudWatch Alarm, and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs is for log data, not CPU metrics.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse CloudWatch Logs with CloudWatch Metrics, assuming logs can be used for metric-based alarms, or they overcomplicate the solution by adding Lambda when SNS alone is sufficient for notification.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the CloudWatch Alarm evaluates the metric 'CPUUtilization' from the AWS/EC2 namespace, using a statistic of 'Average' and a period of 300 seconds (5 minutes). The alarm triggers when the specified number of consecutive evaluation periods (e.g., 5 out of 5 datapoints) exceed the threshold of 80%. Amazon SNS then delivers the notification via HTTP/HTTPS, email, SMS, or other endpoints, ensuring reliable delivery even if the EC2 instance is unavailable.
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.
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Cost and Performance Optimization — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Cost and Performance Optimization — This question tests Cost and Performance Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: CloudWatch Metrics, CloudWatch Alarm, and Amazon SNS — Option C is correct because CloudWatch Metrics collects the CPU utilization data from EC2 instances, a CloudWatch Alarm evaluates whether the average CPU exceeds 80% for 5 consecutive minutes (using a period of 300 seconds and 5 datapoints), and Amazon SNS publishes the notification to subscribers (e.g., email, SMS) when the alarm state transitions to ALARM. This combination directly fulfills the requirement without unnecessary services.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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