- A
VPC Peering
VPC peering allows private connectivity between two VPCs using AWS's private network. It is simple to set up, has no bandwidth limitations, and incurs no hourly cost. It is the most cost-effective solution for connecting two VPCs in the same region.
- B
AWS Transit Gateway
Why wrong: Transit Gateway is a hub-and-spoke model that can connect many VPCs and on-premises networks. For only two VPCs, it introduces unnecessary complexity and additional hourly costs, making it less optimal.
- C
AWS VPN CloudHub
Why wrong: VPN CloudHub is designed to connect multiple on-premises locations using VPN connections to a virtual private gateway. It is not intended for VPC-to-VPC connectivity within AWS.
- D
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Direct Connect is a dedicated network connection from on-premises to AWS. It is not used for connecting VPCs together and involves significant cost and setup time.
Quick Answer
The answer is VPC Peering. This is the correct solution because it establishes direct private IP connectivity between two VPCs in the same region using the AWS global network backbone, providing high throughput with no bandwidth bottlenecks and no single point of failure—all at minimal cost since there are no additional hourly fees, only standard data transfer charges. For the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to choose the most cost-effective and simple networking solution when VPCs have non-overlapping CIDR blocks and no need for transitive routing. A common trap is selecting Transit Gateway, which adds unnecessary complexity and cost for a simple two-VPC connection. Remember the memory tip: “Peering for pairing, Transit for transit”—if you only need to connect two VPCs directly, VPC Peering is the lean, direct path.
SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of networking and content delivery. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 has two Amazon VPCs (VPC-A and VPC-B) in the same AWS Region with non-overlapping CIDR blocks. The SysOps administrator needs to establish private IP connectivity between the two VPCs with high throughput and minimal cost. Which solution should the administrator implement?
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
VPC Peering
VPC Peering is the correct solution because it allows direct private IP connectivity between two VPCs in the same AWS Region using the AWS global network backbone, with no bandwidth bottlenecks, no single point of failure, and no additional cost beyond data transfer charges. Since the VPCs have non-overlapping CIDR blocks, they can be peered without route conflicts, and traffic flows entirely within AWS without traversing the public internet or requiring a transit hub.
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.
- ✓
VPC Peering
Why this is correct
VPC peering allows private connectivity between two VPCs using AWS's private network. It is simple to set up, has no bandwidth limitations, and incurs no hourly cost. It is the most cost-effective solution for connecting two VPCs in the same region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway is a hub-and-spoke model that can connect many VPCs and on-premises networks. For only two VPCs, it introduces unnecessary complexity and additional hourly costs, making it less optimal.
- ✗
AWS VPN CloudHub
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect is a dedicated network connection from on-premises to AWS. It is not used for connecting VPCs together and involves significant cost and setup time.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often over-engineer the solution by choosing AWS Transit Gateway for its centralized routing features, forgetting that for a simple two-VPC peering scenario with non-overlapping CIDRs, VPC Peering is the most cost-effective and high-performance option without the overhead of a transit hub.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Peering uses the AWS global network to route traffic between VPCs with no intermediate gateway or VPN appliance, leveraging the same underlying infrastructure that powers EC2 and other services. Under the hood, VPC Peering establishes a Layer 3 (IP) connection that requires explicit route table entries in each VPC's subnets to direct traffic to the peering connection, and it does not support transitive routing (e.g., VPC-A cannot reach VPC-C through VPC-B). For high-throughput workloads like database replication or large data transfers, VPC Peering can saturate the full bandwidth of the instance's network interface, limited only by the instance type's networking capabilities.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Networking and Content Delivery — This question tests Networking and Content Delivery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: VPC Peering — VPC Peering is the correct solution because it allows direct private IP connectivity between two VPCs in the same AWS Region using the AWS global network backbone, with no bandwidth bottlenecks, no single point of failure, and no additional cost beyond data transfer charges. Since the VPCs have non-overlapping CIDR blocks, they can be peered without route conflicts, and traffic flows entirely within AWS without traversing the public internet or requiring a transit hub.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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