CCSP Cloud Concepts, Architecture, and Design Practice Question
A small business wants to use a cloud-based email and collaboration suite where the provider manages the application, servers, and operating system. The business only needs to configure user accounts and settings. Which cloud service model is being used?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is equating any cloud-hosted application with PaaS, when a fully managed application with only user configuration is SaaS.
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
✓
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is the model where the provider manages the entire application stack, and the customer only handles configuration and user management. The scenario explicitly states the provider manages the application, servers, and operating system, leaving only account and settings configuration to the business. IaaS, PaaS, and FaaS all require more customer responsibility for the application or runtime.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why this is correct
SaaS delivers a complete application managed by the provider, including servers, operating system, and application maintenance. The customer only configures user accounts and settings. This exactly matches the scenario where the business uses a cloud-based email and collaboration suite without managing infrastructure or the application itself.
- ✗
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why it's wrong here
PaaS provides a development and runtime environment but still requires the customer to manage applications and data. In the scenario, the business only configures user accounts and settings, indicating a fully managed application. PaaS would require more customer involvement in application deployment and maintenance, so it is not the correct model.
- ✗
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why it's wrong here
IaaS provides virtual machines and storage, requiring the business to manage the operating system, applications, and patches. The scenario states the provider manages the application, servers, and operating system, which is not IaaS. Therefore, this option does not match the described division of responsibilities.
- ✗
Function as a Service (FaaS)
Why it's wrong here
FaaS is an event-driven compute model where the customer writes and deploys code functions. It does not provide a ready-to-use email and collaboration suite. The scenario describes a fully managed application, not serverless functions, so FaaS is not the appropriate service model here.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| 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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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 ISC2 exam blueprint
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.