The answer is a more specific route in the VPC route table pointing to an Internet Gateway. This is correct because AWS route tables use the most specific matching route (longest prefix match) to determine traffic path; if a default route of 0.0.0.0/0 exists pointing to an Internet Gateway, it will override the less specific route to the virtual private gateway for on-premises traffic, even when Direct Connect BGP advertisements are properly received. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how route priority interacts with Direct Connect traffic routing—a common trap is assuming BGP propagation alone guarantees traffic flow, when in fact the VPC route table must explicitly direct the on-premises CIDR to the virtual private gateway. Remember the memory tip: "Default drowns Direct Connect"—a 0.0.0.0/0 route to an IGW will always hijack traffic unless a more specific route for your on-premises network is present.
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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 company uses AWS Direct Connect to connect its on-premises network to AWS. The SysOps team notices that traffic from the on-premises network to a VPC is not using the Direct Connect connection but instead is going over the internet. The VPC has a virtual private gateway attached and the on-premises router is advertising a specific route. 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 VPC route table has a more specific route (e.g., 0.0.0.0/0) pointing to an Internet Gateway.
Option B is correct because the VPC route table contains a more specific route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to an Internet Gateway, which overrides the less specific route to the virtual private gateway for traffic destined to the on-premises network. When the on-premises router advertises a specific route (e.g., 10.0.0.0/16) via BGP, the VPC route table must have a matching route (or a more specific one) pointing to the virtual private gateway; otherwise, the default route to the Internet Gateway takes precedence, sending traffic over the internet instead of Direct Connect.
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 on-premises network does not have a route to the VPC CIDR.
Why it's wrong here
If no route, traffic would not reach VPC at all.
✓
The VPC route table has a more specific route (e.g., 0.0.0.0/0) pointing to an Internet Gateway.
Why this is correct
More specific route takes precedence over the Direct Connect route.
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 BGP session between the on-premises router and the Direct Connect router is down.
Why it's wrong here
If BGP is down, no routes would be learned, so traffic would not go via Direct Connect.
✗
The virtual private gateway is not attached to the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Attachment is needed for Direct Connect to work.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume the BGP session or virtual private gateway attachment is the issue, but the real cause is a route table priority conflict where a less specific default route to an Internet Gateway overrides the more specific Direct Connect route.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In AWS, route tables evaluate the most specific route (longest prefix match) first; a 0.0.0.0/0 route to an Internet Gateway will match any destination not explicitly covered by a more specific route. For Direct Connect traffic to flow correctly, the VPC route table must contain a route for the on-premises CIDR (e.g., 192.168.0.0/16) pointing to the virtual private gateway, or the BGP-advertised route must be propagated into the route table via route propagation. A common misconfiguration is having a default route to an Internet Gateway that overrides the more specific Direct Connect route, especially when the on-premises CIDR is not explicitly added.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
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.
Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The VPC route table has a more specific route (e.g., 0.0.0.0/0) pointing to an Internet Gateway. — Option B is correct because the VPC route table contains a more specific route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to an Internet Gateway, which overrides the less specific route to the virtual private gateway for traffic destined to the on-premises network. When the on-premises router advertises a specific route (e.g., 10.0.0.0/16) via BGP, the VPC route table must have a matching route (or a more specific one) pointing to the virtual private gateway; otherwise, the default route to the Internet Gateway takes precedence, sending traffic over the internet instead of Direct Connect.
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.