Match each AWS storage service to its description.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Object storage for any data
Block storage for EC2 instances
File storage for Linux instances
Managed file system for Windows or Lustre
Low-cost archival storage
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon S3: Object storage for internet-scale data.
Amazon S3 is object storage, EBS is block storage, EFS is file storage, and Glacier is archival. Common confusions include mixing S3 and EBS definitions.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon S3: Object storage for internet-scale data.
Why this is correct
Amazon S3 is a true object storage service, storing data as objects within buckets and exposing a flat namespace addressed by unique keys over HTTPS. It is engineered for internet-scale durability (11 nines) and elasticity, making it ideal for backups, static website content, data lakes, and application assets. Objects are not mounted or attached to compute instances; they are accessed via API/SDK endpoints, not as raw block devices.
Amazon EBS: Block-level storage volumes for EC2 instances.
Why this is correct
Amazon EBS provides persistent block-level storage volumes that attach to a single EC2 instance over the AWS network, appearing as raw, unformatted devices that the OS can partition and format with a file system. Volumes are replicated within an Availability Zone and can be snapshotted to S3 for durability, but they are not designed for shared multi-instance access (except specific multi-attach configurations). EBS is the foundational durable storage for EC2 boot volumes and transactional databases.
Amazon EFS: File storage for EC2 instances, scalable.
Why this is correct
Amazon EFS implements a fully managed, elastic POSIX-compliant file system that can be mounted concurrently across multiple EC2 instances and on-premises resources via AWS Direct Connect or VPN. It scales automatically as files are added or removed, and its performance modes (General Purpose and Max I/O) let you optimise for latency or throughput depending on workload. Unlike EBS, EFS is a network file system, not a block device, and you pay only for the storage you use.
Amazon Glacier: Low-cost archival storage.
Why this is correct
Amazon Glacier — now part of the S3 Glacier storage classes — is purpose-built for long-term, low-cost archival where retrieval latency of minutes to hours is acceptable. It offers several retrieval tiers (Expedited, Standard, Bulk) that trade speed for cost, and data is stored as objects with S3-compatible APIs. Because it is designed for infrequent access, it is far cheaper than S3 Standard or EBS but is not intended for active or low-latency workloads.
Amazon S3: Block-level storage for EC2 instances.
Why it's wrong here
This pairing is incorrect because Amazon S3 does not expose block devices; it stores objects in a flat key-value namespace accessed via HTTPS APIs. Block-level storage for EC2 instances is the domain of Amazon EBS, which presents raw volumes that the operating system formats and mounts. S3's object model, eventual consistency, and API-driven access make it unsuitable as a directly attached block store for a running instance.
Amazon EBS: Object storage for internet-scale data.
Why it's wrong here
This pairing incorrectly characterizes Amazon EBS as object storage. EBS volumes appear as raw block devices attached to a single EC2 instance, and the instance's OS manages them with filesystems like ext4 or NTFS; they are not object-based. Object storage with a global namespace and REST/SDK access is S3's model, so EBS cannot provide internet-scale object storage.
Quick reference
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SOA-C02 question from scratch — 1,169 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.