CV0-004 Operations and Support Practice Question
A cloud architect is designing an auto-scaling policy for a web application. The application's traffic spikes predictably every weekday at 9 AM and decreases after 5 PM. Which scaling policy is most cost-effective?
⚠ Common exam trap
CV0-004 often tests the misconception that target tracking is always best, when predictable time-based patterns are more cost-effectively handled by scheduled scaling.
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
✓
Scheduled scaling policy that increases capacity at 8:45 AM and decreases at 5:15 PM
Scheduled scaling is designed for predictable, time-based traffic patterns. Scaling up at 8:45 AM and down at 5:15 PM pre-provisions capacity before the 9 AM spike and removes it after the 5 PM decline, avoiding the lag and over-provisioning inherent in reactive policies. This is the most cost-effective approach for a known weekly pattern.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Step scaling policy that adds instances when CPU > 70%
Why it's wrong here
Step scaling adds instances only after CPU exceeds 70%, so capacity arrives after the predictable 9 AM surge has already degraded performance, and it scales in reactively after 5 PM. It suits unpredictable load. Scheduled scaling provisions capacity before the known weekday peak, avoiding both lag and idle cost.
- ✗
Simple scaling policy with a cooldown of 300 seconds
Why it's wrong here
Simple scaling reacts to a single alarm threshold and, with a 300-second cooldown, delays subsequent actions, so it cannot pre-empt the predictable 9 AM spike and may oscillate. It suits steady, unpredictable load. Predictable daily peaks call for scheduled scaling, which provisions capacity ahead of the known ramp.
- ✓
Scheduled scaling policy that increases capacity at 8:45 AM and decreases at 5:15 PM
Why this is correct
Scheduled scaling provisions capacity at fixed times, matching the predictable weekday 9 AM spike and 5 PM decline without relying on reactive metrics. This avoids over-provisioning during known idle periods, directly satisfying the cost-effectiveness constraint in the stem.
- ✗
Target tracking policy with a target CPU of 50%
Why it's wrong here
Target tracking adjusts capacity to hold a metric at a setpoint, reacting only after CPU crosses 50%, so it lags the predictable 9 AM ramp and over-provisions during quiet hours. It suits variable, unpredictable demand. A fixed weekday schedule matches the known traffic pattern without reactive lag.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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