The answer is S3 Glacier Deep Archive. This is the correct choice because it offers the lowest storage cost of any AWS storage class, designed specifically for long-term archival data that is accessed only once per year or less, while maintaining the same 99.999999999% durability as S3 Standard. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of cost optimization through lifecycle policies—a common scenario where you must balance retrieval time against storage expense. A frequent trap is choosing S3 One Zone-IA, which is cheaper than Standard but sacrifices durability by storing data in a single Availability Zone, or S3 Intelligent-Tiering, which incurs monitoring costs that negate savings for truly static data. Remember the memory tip: “Deep Archive for deep discounts on deep-freeze data.”
SOA-C02 Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cost and performance optimization. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 uses S3 Standard for all data, but some objects are accessed only once per year. Which storage class provides the lowest cost for this use case while maintaining the same durability?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Option B is correct because S3 Glacier Deep Archive is the lowest-cost storage class for long-term archival data accessed rarely. S3 Standard is expensive for infrequent access. S3 One Zone-IA is cheaper but not as durable. S3 Intelligent-Tiering has monitoring costs and may not be ideal.
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.
✓
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Why this is correct
Lowest cost for rarely accessed data with same durability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)
Why it's wrong here
Lower durability due to single AZ, and cost is higher than Glacier Deep Archive.
✗
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
Why it's wrong here
Includes monitoring and automation fees; not the lowest cost for static data.
✗
S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)
Why it's wrong here
Lower cost than Standard, but still more expensive than Glacier Deep Archive.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 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.
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: S3 Glacier Deep Archive — Option B is correct because S3 Glacier Deep Archive is the lowest-cost storage class for long-term archival data accessed rarely. S3 Standard is expensive for infrequent access. S3 One Zone-IA is cheaper but not as durable. S3 Intelligent-Tiering has monitoring costs and may not be ideal.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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
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