- A
Ensure the VPC's CIDR block does not overlap with the ALB's IP range
Why wrong: CIDR overlap does not affect DNS.
- B
Verify that the Route 53 alias record points to the ALB's DNS name
Misconfigured alias records cause resolution failures.
- C
Run 'dig' or 'nslookup' from a client to verify the domain resolves to the correct IP
This directly tests DNS resolution.
- D
Verify that the ALB's security group allows inbound traffic on port 443
Why wrong: This affects traffic, not DNS resolution.
- E
Check the health status of the ALB's target group
Why wrong: Unhealthy targets cause 503 errors, not DNS issues.
Question 1,524 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. 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.
A SysOps administrator is troubleshooting DNS resolution issues for a custom domain used by an Application Load Balancer. Which TWO steps should the administrator take to diagnose the issue? (Choose two.)
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
✓
Verify that the Route 53 alias record points to the ALB's DNS name
Option B is correct because a Route 53 alias record must point to the ALB's DNS name (e.g., my-alb-1234567890.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com) to properly route traffic to the load balancer. If the alias record is misconfigured or points to an incorrect resource, DNS resolution will fail or resolve to an unintended IP, causing the custom domain not to work.
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.
- ✗
Ensure the VPC's CIDR block does not overlap with the ALB's IP range
- ✓
Verify that the Route 53 alias record points to the ALB's DNS name
Why this is correct
Misconfigured alias records cause resolution failures.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Run 'dig' or 'nslookup' from a client to verify the domain resolves to the correct IP
Why this is correct
This directly tests DNS resolution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Verify that the ALB's security group allows inbound traffic on port 443
Why it's wrong here
This affects traffic, not DNS resolution.
- ✗
Check the health status of the ALB's target group
Why it's wrong here
Unhealthy targets cause 503 errors, not DNS issues.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse DNS resolution issues with network connectivity or load balancer health, leading them to select security group or target group checks instead of focusing on the DNS configuration itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When using Route 53 alias records with an ALB, the DNS resolution returns the ALB's IP addresses directly (via A records) rather than a CNAME, which allows the record to exist at the zone apex. Running 'dig' or 'nslookup' from a client (Option C) verifies that the domain resolves to the correct ALB IP addresses, confirming that the alias record is properly configured and that no intermediate DNS caching or misrouting is occurring.
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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Common DNS Record Types
| Record | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address mapping | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | IPv6 address mapping | example.com → 2606:2800::1 |
| CNAME | Alias to another hostname | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail server for domain | example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10) |
| TXT | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all |
| NS | Authoritative name servers | example.com NS ns1.example.com |
| PTR | Reverse DNS (IP → hostname) | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com |
| SOA | Zone authority record | Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults |
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 — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Networking and Content Delivery practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SOA-C02 questions
1,546 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SOA-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SOA-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation.
Reliability and Business Continuity practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Reliability and Business Continuity.
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Networking and Content Delivery practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Networking and Content Delivery.
Cost and Performance Optimization practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Cost and Performance Optimization.
SOA-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 fundamentals.
SOA-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 scenario.
SOA-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SOA-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
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: Verify that the Route 53 alias record points to the ALB's DNS name — Option B is correct because a Route 53 alias record must point to the ALB's DNS name (e.g., my-alb-1234567890.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com) to properly route traffic to the load balancer. If the alias record is misconfigured or points to an incorrect resource, DNS resolution will fail or resolve to an unintended IP, causing the custom domain not to work.
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 →
Keep practising
More SOA-C02 practice questions
- A company uses an Amazon DynamoDB table with on-demand capacity mode. The table handles a workload with a steady baselin…
- A company uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to store application logs. The SysOps administrator needs to count the occurrences…
- A SysOps administrator needs to monitor the CPU utilization of an Amazon EC2 instance and send an alert when it exceeds…
- A SysOps administrator needs to monitor the CPU utilization of an Amazon EC2 instance fleet and send an alert when the a…
- A company's security policy requires that all Amazon S3 buckets must have server-side encryption enabled. The SysOps adm…
- A SysOps administrator uses AWS CloudFormation to deploy a stack that includes an Amazon EC2 instance. The administrator…
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.
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.