Quick Answer
The answer is an S3 Lifecycle policy, which is the correct feature to automatically delete objects after a specific number of days. This policy allows you to define rules that expire objects—permanently removing them—once they reach a specified age, such as 30 days, by setting an expiration action on the current version or noncurrent versions of your objects. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of cost-optimization and data lifecycle management, often appearing in scenarios where you must choose between versioning, Object Lock, MFA Delete, and Lifecycle policies. A common trap is confusing versioning or Object Lock with deletion: versioning retains multiple copies, and Object Lock prevents deletion, while MFA Delete only adds an authentication step. Remember the memory tip: “Lifecycle for liftoff, versioning for versions, lock for lockdown, MFA for more friction”—only Lifecycle automates deletion by time.
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
A data engineer needs to ensure that data stored in Amazon S3 is automatically deleted after 30 days. Which S3 feature should be used?
S3 Lifecycle policy
Lifecycle policies can expire objects after 30 days.
S3 MFA Delete
Why wrong: MFA delete requires additional authentication, not automatic deletion.
S3 Versioning
Why wrong: Versioning keeps multiple versions, not automatic deletion.
S3 Object Lock
Why wrong: Object lock prevents deletion, not automatic deletion.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
S3 Lifecycle policy
Option C is correct because S3 Lifecycle policies can automatically transition objects to different storage classes or expire them after a specified time. Option A (versioning) keeps multiple versions of objects. Option B (object lock) prevents deletion. Option D (MFA delete) requires multi-factor authentication for deletion.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
S3 Lifecycle policy
Why this is correct
Lifecycle policies can expire objects after 30 days.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
S3 MFA Delete
Why it's wrong here
MFA delete requires additional authentication, not automatic deletion.
S3 Versioning
Why it's wrong here
Versioning keeps multiple versions, not automatic deletion.
S3 Object Lock
Why it's wrong here
Object lock prevents deletion, not automatic deletion.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: S3 Lifecycle policy — Option C is correct because S3 Lifecycle policies can automatically transition objects to different storage classes or expire them after a specified time. Option A (versioning) keeps multiple versions of objects. Option B (object lock) prevents deletion. Option D (MFA delete) requires multi-factor authentication for deletion.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.
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