The answer is to use the metric filter pattern "ERROR" with the metric value set to 1. This works because a CloudWatch metric filter pattern scans each log event as a plain text string, and any entry containing the substring "ERROR" will match, incrementing the count by exactly 1 per event. By setting the metric value to 1, each matching log entry contributes a single unit to the metric, allowing the subsequent alarm to evaluate the sum over a 5-minute period and trigger when that sum exceeds 100. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding that metric filters count matching log events, not parse structured fields—a common trap is overcomplicating the pattern with regex or JSON selectors when a simple string match suffices. Remember the memory tip: "One match, one count—keep it simple with a string."
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 company uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to collect logs from multiple EC2 instances. The SysOps administrator needs to create a metric filter that counts the number of ERROR-level log entries per hour and triggers an alarm when the count exceeds 100 in any 5-minute period. Which metric filter pattern should be used?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use the pattern "ERROR" and set the metric value to 1.
Option B is correct because a CloudWatch Logs metric filter counts each log event that matches the pattern. Setting the metric value to 1 ensures that each matching log entry increments the metric by 1, allowing the alarm to evaluate the sum over a 5-minute period against the threshold of 100. The pattern "ERROR" matches any log entry containing the string "ERROR" anywhere in the message.
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.
✗
Use the pattern "ERROR" and set the metric value to 100.
Why it's wrong here
Setting metric value to 100 would incorrectly inflate the count per entry.
✓
Use the pattern "ERROR" and set the metric value to 1.
Why this is correct
Each log entry containing ERROR increments the metric by 1, allowing accurate counting.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use the pattern "ERROR *" to match any log entry starting with ERROR.
Why it's wrong here
The pattern "ERROR *" would match entries beginning with 'ERROR ' but metric filters use simple patterns; it's better to just use "ERROR".
✗
Use the pattern "[ERROR, 5]" to match 5 consecutive ERROR entries.
Why it's wrong here
That pattern syntax is invalid for CloudWatch Logs metric filters.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think the metric value should match the alarm threshold (e.g., 100) or that wildcards or special syntax are needed, when in fact the metric value should be 1 and the threshold is set in the alarm definition.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch Logs metric filters operate on incoming log events in real time, and each filter can define a metric value (default 1) that is added to the metric every time the pattern matches. The alarm then evaluates the metric over a specified period (e.g., 5 minutes) using a statistic like Sum. A common pitfall is confusing the metric value with the alarm threshold; the metric value controls how much each match contributes, while the threshold is set separately 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: Use the pattern "ERROR" and set the metric value to 1. — Option B is correct because a CloudWatch Logs metric filter counts each log event that matches the pattern. Setting the metric value to 1 ensures that each matching log entry increments the metric by 1, allowing the alarm to evaluate the sum over a 5-minute period against the threshold of 100. The pattern "ERROR" matches any log entry containing the string "ERROR" anywhere in the message.
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.
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.