- A
Modify the EBS volumes to use Provisioned IOPS (io1) volumes and set IOPS to 2000.
Why wrong: io1 volumes are premium and cost more than gp2/gp3. For IOPS below 3000, gp3 is more cost-effective.
- B
Convert the EBS volumes from gp2 to gp3 volume type.
gp3 offers baseline 3000 IOPS and 125 MB/s for a lower price than gp2 for many volume sizes. Since the application requires less than 3000 IOPS, gp3 provides sufficient performance at a reduced cost.
- C
Implement an Amazon EBS snapshot lifecycle policy to delete old snapshots and reduce storage costs.
Why wrong: Snapshots are backups, not the root volumes themselves. Deleting old snapshots reduces backup storage costs but does not reduce the cost of the running EBS volumes used by the instances.
- D
Enable EBS optimization on the EC2 instances to improve throughput and reduce costs.
Why wrong: EBS optimization is a feature that provides dedicated network capacity for EBS I/O; it does not change the volume type or price. It may even incur additional costs if the instance type requires it to be enabled separately.
SOA-C02 gp3 volume 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. A key principle to apply: gp3 volume. 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 runs a web application on Amazon EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The application uses Amazon EBS volumes (gp2) for data storage. The SysOps administrator notices that the storage costs are high, and the application's IOPS requirements are consistently below 3000. The administrator wants to reduce storage costs without affecting performance. Which action should the administrator take?
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
Convert the EBS volumes from gp2 to gp3 volume type.
Option B is correct because gp3 volumes offer a baseline performance of 3000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput at a lower cost than gp2 volumes, making them ideal for workloads with IOPS requirements consistently below 3000. By converting from gp2 to gp3, the administrator can reduce storage costs without any performance impact, as gp3 provides the same or better baseline performance at a lower price per GB.
Key principle: gp3 volume
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Modify the EBS volumes to use Provisioned IOPS (io1) volumes and set IOPS to 2000.
Why it's wrong here
io1 volumes are premium and cost more than gp2/gp3. For IOPS below 3000, gp3 is more cost-effective.
- ✓
Convert the EBS volumes from gp2 to gp3 volume type.
Why this is correct
gp3 offers baseline 3000 IOPS and 125 MB/s for a lower price than gp2 for many volume sizes. Since the application requires less than 3000 IOPS, gp3 provides sufficient performance at a reduced cost.
Related concept
gp3 volume
- ✗
Implement an Amazon EBS snapshot lifecycle policy to delete old snapshots and reduce storage costs.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are backups, not the root volumes themselves. Deleting old snapshots reduces backup storage costs but does not reduce the cost of the running EBS volumes used by the instances.
- ✗
Enable EBS optimization on the EC2 instances to improve throughput and reduce costs.
Why it's wrong here
EBS optimization is a feature that provides dedicated network capacity for EBS I/O; it does not change the volume type or price. It may even incur additional costs if the instance type requires it to be enabled separately.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse cost reduction strategies for EBS volumes with snapshot management or instance-level optimizations, failing to recognize that gp3 is the direct, cost-effective replacement for gp2 when IOPS requirements are below the gp3 baseline.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
gp3 volumes decouple IOPS and throughput from storage capacity, allowing you to provision baseline performance independently of volume size, whereas gp2 volumes tie IOPS to volume size (3 IOPS per GB, up to 16,000 IOPS). This means that with gp2, even if the application only needs 3000 IOPS, you might be forced to provision a larger volume to achieve that IOPS, leading to higher costs. Converting to gp3 eliminates this coupling, enabling cost savings by right-sizing the volume without sacrificing performance.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- gp3 volume
- IOPS
- EBS volume modification
- Cost optimization
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
gp3 volume
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review gp3 volume, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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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 — gp3 volume.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Convert the EBS volumes from gp2 to gp3 volume type. — Option B is correct because gp3 volumes offer a baseline performance of 3000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput at a lower cost than gp2 volumes, making them ideal for workloads with IOPS requirements consistently below 3000. By converting from gp2 to gp3, the administrator can reduce storage costs without any performance impact, as gp3 provides the same or better baseline performance at a lower price per GB.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review gp3 volume, then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
gp3 volume
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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