Match each cloud service model to its scope.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Software delivered over the internet
Platform for application development and deployment
Virtualized computing resources over the internet
Disaster recovery as a service
Security services delivered via the cloud
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
IaaS: Provides virtualized computing resources (e.g., servers, storage, networking) over the internet.
The three main cloud service models are IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. IaaS offers virtualized infrastructure, PaaS provides a development platform, and SaaS delivers software applications. Common confusions include mixing the definitions of PaaS and IaaS, or equating PaaS with SaaS.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
IaaS: Provides virtualized computing resources (e.g., servers, storage, networking) over the internet.
Why this is correct
IaaS delivers infrastructure components such as virtual machines, storage, and networks, allowing users to manage operating systems and applications.
PaaS: Provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without dealing with underlying infrastructure.
Why this is correct
PaaS offers a runtime environment for application development and deployment, abstracting the infrastructure layer.
SaaS: Provides ready-to-use software applications over the internet.
Why this is correct
SaaS delivers fully functional software accessed via a web browser, with all underlying infrastructure managed by the provider.
IaaS: Provides a complete development environment for building and deploying applications.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — this describes PaaS, which provides a development platform, not IaaS.
PaaS: Provides ready-to-use software applications accessed over the internet.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — this describes SaaS, which delivers software applications, not PaaS.
Quick reference
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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About these practice questions
This CAS-005 question is part of Courseiva's 968-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.