Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Kinesis Data Streams because it is the only AWS service that provides ordered stream per device when properly partitioned. Kinesis Data Streams guarantees message ordering within a single shard, so by using the device ID as the partition key, all messages from the same device are routed to the same shard, preserving the sequence of JSON payloads exactly as sent. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of streaming ingestion trade-offs: SQS standard queues sacrifice order for throughput, Firehose focuses on batch delivery without per-shard ordering, and SNS is a pub/sub fan-out model. A common trap is choosing Firehose because it seems simpler, but remember that ordered processing requires shard-level sequencing. Memory tip: “Shard by device ID to keep order inside.”
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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.
A company wants to ingest streaming data from thousands of IoT devices into AWS for real-time processing. Each device sends JSON payloads of about 2 KB at a rate of 1 message per second. The data must be processed with a durable, ordered stream per device. Which service should the company use as the ingestion layer?
Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS) with a FIFO queue.
Why wrong: FIFO queues have limited throughput (300 TPS).
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams.
Provides ordered, durable streaming.
Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) with a Lambda subscriber.
Why wrong: Does not guarantee order.
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose with Direct Put.
Why wrong: Does not guarantee ordering.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams.
Option C is correct because Kinesis Data Streams provides ordered data per shard, and shards can be partitioned by device ID. Option A is wrong because SQS does not guarantee order. Option B is wrong because Firehose is for delivery, not ordered processing. Option D is wrong because SNS is pub/sub and doesn't support ordered streams.
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.
Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS) with a FIFO queue.
Why it's wrong here
FIFO queues have limited throughput (300 TPS).
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams.
Why this is correct
Provides ordered, durable streaming.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) with a Lambda subscriber.
Why it's wrong here
Does not guarantee order.
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose with Direct Put.
Why it's wrong here
Does not guarantee ordering.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
Data Ingestion and Transformation — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Data Ingestion and Transformation practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DEA-C01 questions
1,786 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DEA-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Ingestion and Transformation.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Operations and Support.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Security and Governance.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Store Management.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 fundamentals.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 scenario.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon Kinesis Data Streams. — Option C is correct because Kinesis Data Streams provides ordered data per shard, and shards can be partitioned by device ID. Option A is wrong because SQS does not guarantee order. Option B is wrong because Firehose is for delivery, not ordered processing. Option D is wrong because SNS is pub/sub and doesn't support ordered streams.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.