- A
Step scaling policy based on memory utilization
Why wrong: Reactive; can cause oscillations and may not handle sudden spikes well.
- B
Scheduled scaling with fixed times
Why wrong: Works only if traffic pattern is perfectly predictable; not flexible.
- C
Simple scaling policy based on CPU utilization
Why wrong: Reactive; may not keep up with rapid spikes, causing performance issues.
- D
Predictive scaling policy
Proactively scales based on forecast, improving performance and cost.
Question 539 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization 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. 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 running a stateful web application on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The application requires low latency and high throughput. Currently, the application is experiencing performance degradation during peak hours. Which scaling strategy should the SysOps administrator implement to improve performance and optimize cost?
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
✓
Predictive scaling policy
Predictive scaling is the correct choice because it uses machine learning to analyze historical traffic patterns and proactively adjust capacity before demand spikes, which is ideal for a stateful web application experiencing predictable peak-hour performance degradation. This approach ensures low latency and high throughput by pre-warming instances, while optimizing cost by avoiding over-provisioning during off-peak periods.
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.
- ✗
Step scaling policy based on memory utilization
Why it's wrong here
Reactive; can cause oscillations and may not handle sudden spikes well.
- ✗
Scheduled scaling with fixed times
Why it's wrong here
Works only if traffic pattern is perfectly predictable; not flexible.
- ✗
Simple scaling policy based on CPU utilization
Why it's wrong here
Reactive; may not keep up with rapid spikes, causing performance issues.
- ✓
Predictive scaling policy
Why this is correct
Proactively scales based on forecast, improving performance and cost.
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 often choose scheduled scaling (Option B) because they see 'peak hours' and assume a fixed schedule, but they miss that predictive scaling uses ML to handle variable peak patterns more efficiently than rigid schedules.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Predictive scaling in AWS Auto Scaling uses a machine learning model trained on up to 14 days of historical load data to forecast future demand, generating scaling actions up to 48 hours in advance. It works in conjunction with dynamic scaling (e.g., target tracking) to handle deviations from predictions, ensuring the application maintains low latency by keeping the instance count aligned with actual traffic patterns. In a stateful web application, this proactive approach is critical because it avoids the latency penalty of cold starts and connection re-establishment that reactive scaling would cause.
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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Cost and Performance Optimization — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Cost and Performance Optimization 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?
Cost and Performance Optimization — This question tests Cost and Performance Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Predictive scaling policy — Predictive scaling is the correct choice because it uses machine learning to analyze historical traffic patterns and proactively adjust capacity before demand spikes, which is ideal for a stateful web application experiencing predictable peak-hour performance degradation. This approach ensures low latency and high throughput by pre-warming instances, while optimizing cost by avoiding over-provisioning during off-peak periods.
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: Jul 4, 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.