The answer is that the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance lacks the `logs:PutLogEvents` permission. This is the most likely cause of missing log entries in CloudWatch Logs from EC2 because the CloudWatch agent can authenticate and establish a connection to the service, but without this specific permission, it cannot actually write log data to the log stream. The agent may appear healthy and running, yet the `PutLogEvents` API calls fail silently, creating gaps in the centralized logs. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of least-privilege IAM policies and the specific permissions required for log ingestion—a common trap is assuming the agent is misconfigured when the real issue is an incomplete IAM role. Remember the memory tip: "PutLogEvents puts logs in the stream; without it, your logs are just a dream."
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 company is using CloudWatch Logs to centralize logs from multiple EC2 instances. The operations team notices that some log entries are missing from CloudWatch Logs. The CloudWatch agent is installed and running on all instances. 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 IAM role attached to the EC2 instance does not have the 'logs:PutLogEvents' permission.
The most likely cause is that the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance lacks the 'logs:PutLogEvents' permission. Without this permission, the CloudWatch agent can authenticate and connect to CloudWatch Logs but cannot actually write log data to the log stream, resulting in missing entries. The agent may appear to be running and healthy, but API calls to PutLogEvents will fail silently or log errors, leading to gaps in the centralized logs.
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 CloudWatch agent is not configured to send logs to the correct log group.
Why it's wrong here
Although possible, if the agent is running, misconfiguration is less likely than permission issues.
✗
The CloudWatch agent is sending logs to a different AWS Region.
Why it's wrong here
The agent configuration specifies the region; it won't send to another region by accident.
✗
The log group has been encrypted with a KMS key that the agent does not have access to.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not prevent log delivery; it only affects read access.
✓
The IAM role attached to the EC2 instance does not have the 'logs:PutLogEvents' permission.
Why this is correct
Missing IAM permissions is a common cause of missing logs.
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the agent's installation and running status guarantee log delivery, but the missing permission causes silent failures that are easy to overlook, especially when the agent reports no obvious errors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CloudWatch agent uses the AWS SDK to make PutLogEvents API calls, which require the 'logs:PutLogEvents' IAM permission. If this permission is missing, the API call returns an AccessDeniedException, and the agent logs the error but continues running, creating the illusion of a healthy agent while logs are silently dropped. In contrast, the agent can still describe log groups and streams with other permissions, so it may appear configured correctly. Real-world scenarios often involve overly restrictive IAM policies that grant 'logs:DescribeLogGroups' but omit 'logs:PutLogEvents', causing exactly this symptom.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: The IAM role attached to the EC2 instance does not have the 'logs:PutLogEvents' permission. — The most likely cause is that the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance lacks the 'logs:PutLogEvents' permission. Without this permission, the CloudWatch agent can authenticate and connect to CloudWatch Logs but cannot actually write log data to the log stream, resulting in missing entries. The agent may appear to be running and healthy, but API calls to PutLogEvents will fail silently or log errors, leading to gaps in the centralized logs.
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.