- A
Amazon EC2
Why wrong: EC2 requires managing virtual server instances — it's not the serverless, function-based compute model.
- B
AWS Lambda
Lambda runs code functions in response to events without infrastructure management, automatic scaling, and per-millisecond billing — the serverless compute service for event-driven architectures.
- C
Amazon ECS
Why wrong: ECS manages containerized applications — it requires defining containers and managing task definitions.
- D
AWS Fargate
Why wrong: Fargate runs containers without managing EC2 — it's serverless for containers, but Lambda is the serverless function-based compute model.
Question 923 of 1,024
AWS Lambda: Run Code via HTTP Requests
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud technology and services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which AWS compute service allows developers to run code in response to HTTP requests without managing servers, using a simple programming model based on functions?
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
✓
AWS Lambda
AWS Lambda is the correct answer because it is a serverless compute service that executes code in response to events such as HTTP requests via Amazon API Gateway. Developers upload functions and Lambda automatically scales and manages the underlying infrastructure, aligning with the question's requirement of running code without managing servers using a function-based model.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon EC2
Why it's wrong here
EC2 requires managing virtual server instances — it's not the serverless, function-based compute model.
- ✓
AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
Lambda runs code functions in response to events without infrastructure management, automatic scaling, and per-millisecond billing — the serverless compute service for event-driven architectures.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon ECS
Why it's wrong here
ECS manages containerized applications — it requires defining containers and managing task definitions.
- ✗
AWS Fargate
Why it's wrong here
Fargate runs containers without managing EC2 — it's serverless for containers, but Lambda is the serverless function-based compute model.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse AWS Fargate's 'serverless containers' with serverless functions, but Fargate still requires container orchestration and does not use a function-based programming model triggered directly by HTTP requests.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS Lambda functions are stateless and ephemeral, with execution environments that are reused for subsequent invocations to reduce cold start latency. When integrated with API Gateway, Lambda receives the HTTP request as a JSON event object and returns a response, enabling RESTful API backends without any server provisioning. A real-world scenario is a photo upload service where an HTTP POST triggers a Lambda function to resize the image and store it in Amazon S3, all without managing any servers.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Cloud Technology and Services — This question tests Cloud Technology and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Lambda — AWS Lambda is the correct answer because it is a serverless compute service that executes code in response to events such as HTTP requests via Amazon API Gateway. Developers upload functions and Lambda automatically scales and manages the underlying infrastructure, aligning with the question's requirement of running code without managing servers using a function-based model.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services 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 CLF-C02 exam.
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