The correct answer is that the query counts the number of ERROR and FATAL log entries per 5-minute interval and displays them in descending order by time. This is accurate because the `stats count(*) by bin(5m)` clause aggregates log events into fixed 5-minute time buckets, while the `filter @message like /ERROR|FATAL/` restricts the count to only those severity levels, and `sort @timestamp desc` orders the resulting buckets from newest to oldest. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this type of CloudWatch Logs Insights query tests your ability to interpret log aggregation syntax, particularly how `bin()` creates time-based groupings and how `filter` narrows results—a common trap is confusing `bin(5m)` with a simple time filter rather than a grouping function. For a quick memory tip, think "bin buckets by time, filter for severity, sort for recency."
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
CloudWatch Logs Insights query:
fields @timestamp, @message
| filter @message like /ERROR|FATAL/
| stats count() by bin(5m)
| sort @timestamp desc
Refer to the exhibit. A SysOps administrator runs the CloudWatch Logs Insights query shown. What does this query do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Counts the number of ERROR and FATAL log entries per 5-minute interval and displays them in descending order by time.
The CloudWatch Logs Insights query uses `stats count(*) by bin(5m)` to aggregate log events into 5-minute time buckets, then filters with `filter @message like /ERROR|FATAL/` to include only those severity levels. The `sort @timestamp desc` orders the resulting time buckets in descending chronological order, producing a count of ERROR and FATAL entries per 5-minute interval. This matches option B exactly.
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.
✗
Groups ERROR and FATAL entries by log stream name.
Why it's wrong here
The query does not include log stream grouping.
✓
Counts the number of ERROR and FATAL log entries per 5-minute interval and displays them in descending order by time.
Why this is correct
The query uses stats count() by bin(5m) and sorts by @timestamp desc.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Displays the full log messages of all ERROR and FATAL entries.
Why it's wrong here
The query aggregates counts, not individual messages.
✗
Deletes all log entries containing ERROR or FATAL older than 5 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs Insights is read-only and does not delete logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates see `ERROR|FATAL` and `sort @timestamp desc` and assume the query returns raw log messages in reverse chronological order, overlooking that `stats count(*)` aggregates the data into counts per time bucket.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudWatch Logs Insights uses a distributed query engine that parses and indexes log events; the `bin(5m)` function creates fixed-width time buckets aligned to UTC boundaries (e.g., 00:00, 00:05), not sliding windows. A real-world scenario is troubleshooting a production incident where you need to see error frequency spikes over 5-minute windows to correlate with deployment times or traffic surges, and the descending sort ensures the most recent interval appears first.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Counts the number of ERROR and FATAL log entries per 5-minute interval and displays them in descending order by time. — The CloudWatch Logs Insights query uses `stats count(*) by bin(5m)` to aggregate log events into 5-minute time buckets, then filters with `filter @message like /ERROR|FATAL/` to include only those severity levels. The `sort @timestamp desc` orders the resulting time buckets in descending chronological order, producing a count of ERROR and FATAL entries per 5-minute interval. This matches option B exactly.
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.
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Question Discussion
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