Quick Answer
The correct answer is AWS Config and AWS Audit Manager. AWS Config enables you to automate PCI DSS compliance checks by creating rules that continuously evaluate your resource configurations against required security standards, such as encryption settings or network restrictions, and flag any noncompliant resources. AWS Audit Manager then takes those findings and automates the generation of detailed compliance reports, mapping your AWS environment to PCI DSS controls and providing ready-to-use evidence for auditors. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this pairing tests your understanding of the difference between monitoring and compliance automation—a common trap is confusing CloudWatch or CloudTrail for compliance, but those services handle metrics and logging, not rule-based configuration checks or report generation. Remember the memory tip: Config checks the rules, Audit Manager prints the proofs.
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 needs to comply with PCI DSS requirements for its AWS environment. Which TWO services should the SysOps administrator use to automate compliance checks and generate reports? (Choose TWO.)
Amazon CloudWatch
Why wrong: Monitoring service, not compliance automation.
AWS Config
Evaluates resource configurations against compliance rules.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: Audit logging, not compliance reporting.
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: Provides best practice checks, not compliance automation.
AWS Audit Manager
Automates evidence collection and report generation.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Config
Option C is correct because AWS Config rules can be used to check resource configurations against compliance standards. Option D is correct because AWS Audit Manager helps continuously audit and generate compliance reports. Option A is wrong because CloudWatch is for monitoring. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail is for logging API calls. Option E is wrong because Trusted Advisor provides recommendations but not compliance automation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring service, not compliance automation.
AWS Config
Why this is correct
Evaluates resource configurations against compliance rules.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
Audit logging, not compliance reporting.
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
Provides best practice checks, not compliance automation.
AWS Audit Manager
Why this is correct
Automates evidence collection and report generation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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Security and Compliance practice questions
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AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 study guide
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FAQ
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Config — Option C is correct because AWS Config rules can be used to check resource configurations against compliance standards. Option D is correct because AWS Audit Manager helps continuously audit and generate compliance reports. Option A is wrong because CloudWatch is for monitoring. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail is for logging API calls. Option E is wrong because Trusted Advisor provides recommendations but not compliance automation.
Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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.
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