AWSAWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional certification validates your advanced skills in designing optimized, secure, and cost-effective AWS solutions. Built for experienced architects, it demonstrates your ability to solve complex problems, automate manual processes, and architect at scale across multiple applications and projects. Earning this credential signals to employers that you can lead complex cloud initiatives with confidence.
544 practice questions · Updated 2026-07-30
4Domains
20Objectives
176Concepts
544Questions
SAP-C02 Curriculum
Every domain, objective, and concept the SAP-C02 exam measures.
- Network Architecture for Organizational ComplexityDesign network connectivity strategies that address the complexity of large-scale, multi-account, and hybrid cloud environments.
- AWS Global Infrastructure and ConnectivityLeverage AWS global infrastructure, including Regions, Availability Zones, and edge locations, to optimize network performance and resilience.
- Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) DesignDesign VPCs with appropriate CIDR blocks, subnets, route tables, and network ACLs to support organizational requirements.
- Multi-Account Network ArchitectureImplement network connectivity across multiple AWS accounts using VPC peering, transit gateways, or other scalable solutions.
- Hybrid Connectivity OptionsSelect and configure appropriate hybrid connectivity options such as AWS Direct Connect, VPN, or AWS Site-to-Site VPN to connect on-premises networks to AWS.
- Transit Gateway ArchitectureDesign and implement AWS Transit Gateway to simplify network connectivity and management across multiple VPCs and on-premises networks.
- VPC Peering and Inter-Region ConnectivityConfigure VPC peering connections and inter-region connectivity to enable communication between VPCs across different regions.
- DNS and Routing StrategiesImplement DNS resolution and routing strategies, including Route 53, to ensure efficient and reliable name resolution and traffic routing.
- Network Security and ComplianceApply network security controls, such as security groups, network ACLs, and AWS Network Firewall, to meet organizational security and compliance requirements.
- Network Performance OptimizationOptimize network performance using features like AWS Global Accelerator, CloudFront, and placement groups to reduce latency and increase throughput.
- Cost Optimization for Network ConnectivityDesign network connectivity solutions that minimize costs while meeting performance and reliability requirements.
- Monitoring and Troubleshooting Network ConnectivityImplement monitoring and troubleshooting strategies for network connectivity using tools like VPC Flow Logs, CloudWatch, and Reachability Analyzer.
- Security Control SelectionIdentify and select appropriate security controls based on organizational requirements and AWS best practices.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)Design and implement IAM policies, roles, and groups to enforce least privilege and secure access to AWS resources.
- Network Security ControlsImplement network security measures such as security groups, network ACLs, and VPC designs to protect data and resources.
- Data EncryptionApply encryption mechanisms for data at rest and in transit using AWS services like KMS, S3, and TLS.
- Monitoring and LoggingConfigure monitoring and logging solutions (e.g., CloudTrail, CloudWatch, GuardDuty) to detect and respond to security threats.
- Compliance and GovernanceEnsure security controls align with regulatory and compliance standards (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS) using AWS compliance resources.
- Incident Response PlanningDevelop and implement incident response procedures to effectively manage and mitigate security incidents in AWS.
- Security AutomationAutomate security controls and responses using AWS services like Lambda, Config, and Systems Manager to improve efficiency and consistency.
- Design for high availabilityDesign architectures that maintain service availability across multiple Availability Zones and regions, using services like ELB, Auto Scaling, and Route 53.
- Design for fault toleranceImplement systems that continue operating correctly even when components fail, using redundancy, failover, and health checks.
- Design for disaster recoveryPlan and implement disaster recovery strategies (backup, pilot light, warm standby, multi-site) to meet RPO and RTO objectives.
- Design for scalability and elasticityDesign architectures that can scale horizontally and vertically to handle varying load, using Auto Scaling, load balancing, and serverless services.
- Design for self-healing architecturesImplement mechanisms that automatically detect and recover from failures, such as auto-scaling, health checks, and replacement of unhealthy resources.
- Design for data durability and backupEnsure data persistence and recovery through backups, snapshots, replication, and versioning across services like S3, EBS, and RDS.
- Design for network resilienceDesign network architectures that are resilient to failures, using redundant connections, VPN, Direct Connect, and route failover.
- Design for application resilienceDesign applications to handle failures gracefully, using patterns like retries, circuit breakers, and idempotent operations.
- Design for infrastructure as code resilienceUse infrastructure as code (CloudFormation, Terraform) to enable reproducible and recoverable infrastructure deployments.
- Design for monitoring and observabilityImplement monitoring, logging, and alerting (CloudWatch, X-Ray) to detect issues and trigger automated responses for resilience.
- Multi-account strategyDesign a multi-account AWS environment by defining account structure, organizational units (OUs), and governance policies to meet organizational complexity.
- AWS OrganizationsUse AWS Organizations to centrally manage multiple accounts, apply service control policies (SCPs), and consolidate billing.
- Service control policies (SCPs)Create and apply SCPs to restrict permissions across accounts and OUs, ensuring compliance and security boundaries.
- Account design patternsApply patterns such as the multi-account landing zone, shared services, and workload isolation to organize accounts based on business and security requirements.
- Networking across accountsDesign network connectivity between accounts using VPC peering, Transit Gateway, or AWS PrivateLink to enable secure communication.
- Identity and access management (IAM) across accountsImplement cross-account IAM roles and policies to allow secure access to resources across accounts while maintaining least privilege.
- Centralized logging and monitoringAggregate logs and metrics from multiple accounts using services like CloudTrail, CloudWatch, and AWS Config to enable centralized visibility and auditing.
- Cost management and billingUse consolidated billing, cost allocation tags, and AWS Budgets to manage and optimize costs across a multi-account environment.
- Compliance and governanceEnforce compliance by using SCPs, AWS Config rules, and preventive controls to meet regulatory and organizational standards across accounts.
- Migration and account consolidationPlan and execute migration of workloads into a multi-account structure, including account consolidation and resource reorganization.
- Cost Visibility ToolsIdentify and describe AWS cost management tools such as Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, and Cost and Usage Report for monitoring and analyzing cloud spending.
- Cost Allocation TagsExplain how to use cost allocation tags to organize and track costs by project, department, or other business dimensions.
- Cost Optimization StrategiesEvaluate and apply strategies such as rightsizing, purchasing options (Savings Plans, Reserved Instances), and storage lifecycle policies to reduce costs.
- Cost Governance and ControlsImplement governance mechanisms like budgets, alerts, and service control policies to enforce cost limits and prevent overspending.
- Cost Reporting and AnalysisCreate and interpret cost reports to identify trends, anomalies, and opportunities for optimization across accounts and services.
- Multi-Account Cost ManagementApply consolidated billing and organizational views to manage and optimize costs across multiple AWS accounts.
- Deployment Strategy SelectionEvaluate business requirements to select an appropriate deployment strategy (e.g., blue/green, canary, rolling, immutable) for new solutions.
- Blue/Green DeploymentDesign a blue/green deployment to minimize downtime and enable instant rollback by running two environments and switching traffic.
- Canary DeploymentImplement a canary deployment to gradually shift traffic to a new version, allowing monitoring and controlled rollout.
- Rolling DeploymentApply a rolling deployment to incrementally replace instances with new versions, ensuring availability during the update.
- Immutable DeploymentUse immutable infrastructure to deploy by replacing entire instances or environments, ensuring consistency and easy rollback.
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC)Leverage IaC tools (e.g., AWS CloudFormation, Terraform) to automate and manage deployment of infrastructure in a repeatable manner.
- Deployment Automation with CI/CDDesign a CI/CD pipeline (e.g., AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy) to automate build, test, and deployment processes.
- Rollback StrategiesPlan rollback mechanisms (e.g., versioned artifacts, automated rollback triggers) to revert to a stable state if deployment fails.
- Deployment EnvironmentsDesign separate environments (e.g., dev, test, prod) with appropriate controls and promotion paths to meet business requirements.
- Compliance and Governance in DeploymentsIncorporate compliance requirements (e.g., auditing, encryption, data residency) into the deployment strategy to meet regulatory needs.
- Cost Optimization in DeploymentOptimize deployment costs by selecting appropriate resources, scaling strategies, and minimizing idle capacity during deployments.
- Monitoring and Validation in DeploymentsIntegrate monitoring, logging, and automated validation (e.g., health checks, synthetic tests) to ensure successful deployments and detect issues.
- Business Continuity Requirements AnalysisIdentify and analyze business continuity requirements such as RPO and RTO to guide solution design.
- High Availability Architecture PatternsDesign architectures that eliminate single points of failure using redundancy, failover, and load balancing.
- Backup and Restore StrategiesImplement backup solutions for data and applications, including automated snapshots, cross-region replication, and point-in-time recovery.
- Disaster Recovery StrategiesSelect and apply appropriate disaster recovery strategies (e.g., backup/restore, pilot light, warm standby, multi-site active/active) based on RPO/RTO.
- Data Replication for ContinuityUse data replication techniques (e.g., synchronous/asynchronous, cross-region) to ensure data durability and availability.
- Failover and Failback MechanismsDesign automated or manual failover processes for compute, storage, and databases, including DNS and routing updates.
- Monitoring and Alerting for ContinuitySet up monitoring and alerting to detect failures and trigger recovery processes, ensuring visibility into system health.
- Testing and Validation of Continuity PlansPlan and execute regular testing of business continuity procedures to validate effectiveness and update plans.
- Security Control SelectionIdentify and select appropriate security controls based on the specific requirements of a new solution.
- Threat ModelingAnalyze potential threats and vulnerabilities to inform the selection of security controls.
- Compliance and Regulatory RequirementsDetermine applicable compliance standards and regulatory requirements that influence security control choices.
- Data Classification and ProtectionClassify data types and apply appropriate protection mechanisms based on sensitivity and handling requirements.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)Design IAM policies and roles to enforce least privilege and meet access control requirements.
- Network Security ControlsImplement network-level security measures such as segmentation, firewalls, and encryption to protect data in transit.
- Encryption and Key ManagementSelect and apply encryption methods and manage cryptographic keys to protect data at rest and in transit.
- Monitoring and LoggingDefine monitoring, logging, and alerting mechanisms to detect and respond to security events.
- Incident Response PlanningDevelop incident response procedures and controls to address potential security breaches.
- Security Control IntegrationIntegrate security controls seamlessly into the architecture of the new solution without compromising functionality.
- Reliability requirements analysisIdentify and interpret reliability requirements from business and technical constraints to inform architectural decisions.
- Fault tolerance designDesign architectures that tolerate component failures without impacting overall system availability.
- High availability designDesign architectures that minimize downtime and ensure continuous operation during failures or maintenance.
- Disaster recovery strategyDesign a disaster recovery strategy that meets recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) requirements.
- Automated recovery mechanismsImplement automated recovery mechanisms such as health checks, auto-scaling, and self-healing to restore service without manual intervention.
- Data durability and backupDesign data storage solutions with appropriate durability and backup strategies to prevent data loss and ensure recoverability.
- Load balancing and traffic distributionDesign load balancing and traffic distribution to distribute workloads across multiple resources and avoid single points of failure.
- Multi-AZ and multi-region deploymentDesign deployments across multiple Availability Zones and Regions to achieve high availability and disaster recovery.
- Reliability testing and monitoringDesign monitoring and testing strategies to validate reliability and detect failures proactively.
- Performance Requirements AnalysisIdentify and document performance objectives such as latency, throughput, and concurrency from business and technical requirements.
- Performance Metrics and KPIsDefine measurable performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate solution effectiveness.
- Compute Performance OptimizationSelect and configure compute resources (e.g., instance types, auto scaling, serverless) to meet performance targets.
- Storage Performance OptimizationChoose storage solutions and configurations (e.g., SSD, provisioned IOPS, caching) to achieve required I/O performance.
- Database Performance OptimizationDesign database solutions (e.g., read replicas, indexing, partitioning) to meet performance objectives for queries and transactions.
- Network Performance OptimizationOptimize network architecture (e.g., VPC endpoints, load balancing, CDN) to reduce latency and increase throughput.
- Caching StrategiesImplement caching layers (e.g., Amazon CloudFront, ElastiCache) to improve performance and reduce load on backend systems.
- Auto Scaling for PerformanceDesign auto scaling policies to dynamically adjust resources based on performance metrics to maintain target performance.
- Performance Testing and ValidationPlan and execute performance testing (e.g., load, stress) to validate that the solution meets performance objectives.
- Performance Monitoring and OptimizationSet up monitoring and alerting (e.g., CloudWatch) to track performance and identify areas for continuous optimization.
- Cost optimization strategy definitionDefine a cost optimization strategy that aligns with the solution's goals and objectives.
- Cost modeling and estimationEstimate the total cost of ownership (TCO) for different architectural options.
- Cost-benefit analysisCompare the costs and benefits of various design choices to select the most cost-effective option.
- Right-sizing resourcesSelect appropriately sized compute, storage, and database resources to match workload requirements and avoid over-provisioning.
- Using pricing modelsApply appropriate pricing models such as On-Demand, Reserved, Savings Plans, and Spot Instances to optimize costs.
- Storage cost optimizationChoose cost-effective storage classes and lifecycle policies to minimize storage costs.
- Data transfer cost optimizationMinimize data transfer costs by designing architectures that reduce cross-region or internet data movement.
- Managed services cost trade-offsEvaluate the cost implications of using managed services versus self-managed alternatives.
- Serverless and event-driven cost benefitsLeverage serverless and event-driven architectures to reduce costs for variable or intermittent workloads.
- Cost monitoring and governanceImplement cost monitoring, budgeting, and governance mechanisms to track and control ongoing costs.
- Trade-offs between cost and other objectivesBalance cost optimization with performance, reliability, and security requirements to meet overall solution goals.
- Operational Excellence PillarExplain the AWS Well-Architected Framework's Operational Excellence pillar and its design principles.
- Assessing Current StateEvaluate an existing solution's operational health using AWS tools like AWS Trusted Advisor, AWS Health, and CloudWatch metrics.
- Identifying Improvement AreasIdentify gaps in operational practices, such as automation, monitoring, and incident response, based on the assessment.
- Automation StrategyDetermine how to automate operational tasks using AWS services like AWS Config, AWS Systems Manager, and AWS Lambda.
- Monitoring and ObservabilityDefine a strategy to enhance monitoring and observability using CloudWatch, X-Ray, and other AWS monitoring tools.
- Incident Response and ResiliencePlan improvements for incident detection, response, and recovery, including runbooks and AWS Incident Manager.
- Change ManagementImplement a change management process that uses AWS services like AWS CloudFormation and CI/CD pipelines to reduce risk.
- Continuous Improvement CultureEstablish a culture of continuous improvement by using post-incident reviews, feedback loops, and regular operational reviews.
- Security AssessmentIdentify and evaluate the current security posture of an existing solution to determine gaps and risks.
- Threat ModelingAnalyze potential threats and attack vectors specific to the solution to prioritize security improvements.
- Security Controls ImplementationSelect and apply appropriate security controls (e.g., encryption, IAM, network security) to mitigate identified risks.
- Compliance and Regulatory AlignmentEnsure the solution meets relevant compliance standards and regulatory requirements.
- Security Monitoring and LoggingImplement and enhance monitoring, logging, and alerting to detect and respond to security incidents.
- Incident Response PlanningDevelop or improve incident response procedures to effectively handle security breaches.
- Security AutomationAutomate security processes (e.g., patching, compliance checks) to improve efficiency and consistency.
- Continuous Security ImprovementEstablish a cycle of regular security reviews and updates to adapt to evolving threats and changes in the solution.
- Performance AssessmentIdentify performance bottlenecks and evaluate current solution performance against requirements.
- Optimization StrategiesDetermine appropriate strategies to improve performance, such as scaling, caching, or refactoring.
- Trade-off AnalysisAnalyze trade-offs between performance improvements and cost, complexity, and other constraints.
- Reliability Strategy OverviewDefine reliability in the context of AWS solutions and identify key design principles for improving reliability.
- Fault Isolation and Blast Radius ReductionImplement mechanisms to isolate faults and reduce the blast radius of failures, such as using multiple Availability Zones and independent components.
- Automated Recovery and Self-HealingDesign systems that automatically recover from failures using services like Auto Scaling, Elastic Load Balancing, and AWS Lambda.
- Redundancy and Failover DesignApply redundancy strategies, including active-passive and active-active failover, to ensure high availability of critical workloads.
- Backup and Restore StrategiesImplement robust backup and restore mechanisms, including automated snapshots, cross-region replication, and point-in-time recovery.
- Monitoring and Alerting for ReliabilitySet up comprehensive monitoring and alerting using Amazon CloudWatch, AWS X-Ray, and other tools to detect failures and performance degradation.
- Chaos Engineering and Failure TestingUse chaos engineering practices, such as AWS Fault Injection Simulator, to proactively test and improve system resilience.
- Capacity Planning and ScalingPlan for capacity and implement scaling policies to handle variable demand while maintaining reliability.
- Dependency Management and ResilienceManage dependencies, including third-party services and APIs, to prevent cascading failures and ensure system resilience.
- Incident Response and RunbooksDevelop incident response procedures and runbooks to quickly diagnose and resolve reliability issues.
- Reliability Metrics and Continuous ImprovementDefine and track reliability metrics, such as availability and error rates, and use them to drive continuous improvement.
- Cost Optimization PrinciplesIdentify the fundamental principles and best practices for cost optimization in AWS, such as right-sizing, elasticity, and eliminating waste.
- Analyzing AWS Cost and Usage ReportsUse AWS Cost and Usage Reports to analyze spending patterns and identify areas for cost reduction.
- Leveraging AWS Cost ExplorerUtilize AWS Cost Explorer to visualize and analyze cost data, and to identify trends and anomalies.
- Applying AWS Budgets and AlertsSet up AWS Budgets and alerts to monitor costs and receive notifications when spending exceeds thresholds.
- Implementing Cost Allocation TagsUse cost allocation tags to categorize and track AWS costs by project, department, or other dimensions.
- Right-Sizing Compute ResourcesEvaluate and adjust EC2 instance types and sizes to match workload requirements and reduce costs.
- Using Reserved Instances and Savings PlansDetermine when to use Reserved Instances or Savings Plans to achieve lower prices for predictable workloads.
- Optimizing Storage CostsIdentify opportunities to reduce storage costs by using appropriate storage classes, lifecycle policies, and data management.
- Optimizing Data Transfer CostsMinimize data transfer costs by leveraging AWS networking features, such as VPC endpoints, and understanding data transfer pricing.
- Leveraging Spot Instances and Spot FleetUse Spot Instances and Spot Fleet for fault-tolerant and flexible workloads to reduce compute costs.
- Implementing Serverless ArchitecturesEvaluate serverless services like AWS Lambda and Fargate to reduce costs for intermittent or variable workloads.
- Reviewing and Removing Unused ResourcesIdentify and eliminate idle or unused resources, such as unattached EBS volumes, Elastic IPs, and idle load balancers.
- Automating Cost OptimizationImplement automated processes, such as AWS Instance Scheduler or Lambda functions, to automatically stop or terminate resources during off-hours.
- Monitoring and Continuous ImprovementEstablish a continuous review process to monitor cost optimization opportunities and adjust strategies over time.
- Workload Migration AssessmentIdentify and evaluate existing workloads for migration potential based on business value, technical feasibility, and operational impact.
- Migration Prioritization CriteriaApply criteria such as dependencies, risk, and effort to prioritize workloads for migration.
- Migration Strategy SelectionChoose appropriate migration strategies (e.g., rehost, replatform, refactor) for each workload based on requirements.
- Migration Readiness EvaluationAssess the readiness of workloads for migration by analyzing compatibility, performance, and compliance requirements.
- Stakeholder and Process AlignmentAlign migration decisions with organizational processes and stakeholder expectations to ensure successful adoption.
- Migration Strategy AssessmentEvaluate existing workloads to determine the most suitable migration strategy based on business, technical, and operational factors.
- 7Rs Migration StrategiesDifferentiate between the seven common migration strategies (rehost, replatform, refactor, repurchase, retire, retain, relocate) and select appropriate ones for given scenarios.
- Migration Readiness EvaluationAssess workload dependencies, performance requirements, and constraints to determine migration readiness and identify potential blockers.
- Migration Tool SelectionChoose appropriate AWS migration tools and services based on workload characteristics and migration strategy.
- Migration Cost and Benefit AnalysisAnalyze the financial implications of different migration approaches to optimize cost and value.
- Migration Risk and Compliance ManagementIdentify and mitigate risks, including security, compliance, and downtime, during the migration process.
- Assess current architectureAnalyze the existing workload's architecture, dependencies, and constraints to identify migration and modernization opportunities.
- Define target architecture patternsSelect appropriate AWS architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, serverless, event-driven) that align with business and technical requirements.
- Evaluate AWS services for modernizationMap workload components to suitable AWS services (compute, storage, database, etc.) to optimize performance, cost, and scalability.
- Design for scalability and elasticityIncorporate auto-scaling, load balancing, and serverless capabilities to handle variable demand efficiently.
- Design for high availability and fault toleranceApply multi-AZ, multi-region, and disaster recovery strategies to ensure resilience and minimize downtime.
- Plan data migration and storage strategyDetermine data transfer methods (e.g., AWS DMS, Snowball) and storage tiers (S3, EBS, EFS) for seamless and secure data migration.
- Address security and compliance in new architectureIntegrate IAM, encryption, VPC design, and compliance controls to meet security and regulatory requirements.
- Optimize cost in target architectureUse cost-effective services, right-sizing, and pricing models (e.g., Savings Plans, Spot) to reduce total cost of ownership.
- Plan for operational excellenceDesign for observability, monitoring, logging, and automated operations to maintain and improve the workload post-migration.
- Validate architecture with migration toolsUse AWS tools (e.g., AWS Migration Hub, Application Discovery Service) to validate and refine the target architecture.
- Identify modernization opportunitiesAnalyze existing workloads to identify components that can benefit from modernization, such as refactoring, re-platforming, or replacement with managed services.
- Evaluate modernization benefitsAssess the potential benefits of modernization, including cost savings, performance improvements, scalability, and operational efficiency.
- Prioritize modernization initiativesDetermine the order and priority of modernization efforts based on business impact, effort, risk, and dependencies.
- Select appropriate modernization strategiesChoose the most suitable modernization approach (e.g., rehost, replatform, refactor, or replace) for each workload component based on technical and business constraints.
- Plan for modernization implementationDevelop a step-by-step plan for implementing modernization, including migration phases, testing, rollback strategies, and stakeholder communication.
Ready to practice?Test your knowledge with exam-style questions or take an intelligent quiz tailored to your level.
Percentages reflect share of the current practice bank, not official exam weightings — no structured per-skill weight is published for SAP-C02, so none is invented.