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CV0-004 Practice Question: A cloud administrator is reviewing cost reports…
A cloud administrator is reviewing cost reports and notices that a development environment is incurring high costs due to idle compute resources. The environment is used only during business hours on weekdays. Which of the following actions would MOST effectively reduce costs?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between reducing per-unit cost (e.g., smaller instances, spot, different region) versus reducing total runtime cost, and the trap here is that candidates choose a cost-reduction method that still leaves resources running 24/7 instead of aligning compute with actual usage patterns.
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
✓
Implement an auto-scaling schedule to shut down instances during off-hours.
An auto-scaling schedule allows you to define time-based rules to automatically scale in (terminate) instances during off-hours and scale out (launch) them during business hours. This directly addresses the idle compute waste by ensuring resources are only running when needed, which is the most effective cost reduction strategy for a predictable usage pattern like weekdays 9-to-5.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement an auto-scaling schedule to shut down instances during off-hours.
Why this is correct
Scheduled auto-scaling stops instances outside weekday business hours, eliminating charges for idle compute during nights and weekends. This directly matches the usage pattern described, unlike rightsizing or reserved capacity, which reduce rates but leave instances running.
- ✗
Move the development environment to a different region with lower costs.
Why it's wrong here
Relocating to a cheaper region changes the unit price but idle instances still bill continuously, so the waste remains. It is tempting because regional pricing genuinely lowers rates, and it would be correct for a persistently running workload whose resources cannot be stopped.
- ✗
Change all instances to smaller instance types.
Why it's wrong here
Resizing instances reduces the hourly rate but idle compute still bills for every hour, so overnight and weekend waste continues. Rightsizing suits consistently over-provisioned workloads, not schedules. Stopping instances outside business hours eliminates the idle charge entirely.
- ✗
Use spot instances for all development servers.
Why it's wrong here
Spot instances cut the hourly price but are reclaimed on short notice, so idle hours are still billed while running. Spot suits interruption-tolerant batch or stateless workloads, not always-on development servers. Scheduling shutdowns outside business hours removes the idle cost.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.