The answer is VPC Peering, as it is the simplest and most cost-effective AWS service to connect two VPCs privately using the AWS network backbone. VPC Peering establishes a direct, private IP route between the two VPCs, allowing instances in VPC A to communicate with the database in VPC B without traversing the public internet, using only internal AWS infrastructure. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to select the most straightforward solution for private VPC connectivity, often contrasting VPC Peering with more complex options like Transit Gateway or VPN connections. A common trap is choosing Transit Gateway for a simple two-VPC scenario, but remember that Transit Gateway introduces additional hourly costs and complexity best reserved for hub-and-spoke topologies with many VPCs. For exactly two VPCs in the same region, VPC Peering is the low-cost, low-overhead winner. Memory tip: “Two VPCs, one direct link — Peering is the missing link.”
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 VPCs in the same AWS region. VPC A hosts a web application, and VPC B hosts a database. The SysOps administrator needs to enable private IP communication between the two VPCs without using the public internet. The administrator wants a simple, low-cost solution that uses the AWS network backbone. Which AWS service should be used?
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 allows direct, private IP connectivity between two VPCs using the AWS network backbone without traversing the public internet. It is the simplest and most cost-effective solution for connecting exactly two VPCs in the same region, as there are no additional hourly charges beyond data transfer costs, and no intermediate devices or bandwidth limitations are introduced.
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 directly connects two VPCs using private IPs over the AWS network, simple and cost-effective for a pair of VPCs.
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 solution best for many VPCs; for just two VPCs, peering is simpler and cheaper.
✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect is for connecting on-premises data centers to AWS, not for inter-VPC connectivity.
✗
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why it's wrong here
VPN connects on-premises networks to AWS, not VPC-to-VPC; also uses public internet and incurs hourly costs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose AWS Transit Gateway because it is a powerful networking hub, but the question explicitly asks for a simple, low-cost solution for only two VPCs, making VPC Peering the correct choice despite Transit Gateway's broader capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Peering uses the existing AWS infrastructure to route traffic between VPCs via private IP addresses, leveraging the same underlying network that supports EC2 instances. It does not require a separate physical device or virtual appliance, and traffic stays entirely within the AWS global network, avoiding internet gateways or NAT devices. A key subtlety is that VPC Peering does not support transitive routing—if VPC A is peered with VPC B and VPC B is peered with VPC C, traffic cannot flow from A to C through B; each pair must have a direct peering connection.
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.
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 allows direct, private IP connectivity between two VPCs using the AWS network backbone without traversing the public internet. It is the simplest and most cost-effective solution for connecting exactly two VPCs in the same region, as there are no additional hourly charges beyond data transfer costs, and no intermediate devices or bandwidth limitations are introduced.
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 →
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.
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.