Question 73 of 724
DVA-C02 Deployment Practice Question
A company uses AWS CloudFormation to manage its infrastructure. The developer wants to update a stack but only if the update does not cause any resource replacement. Which CloudFormation stack update option should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse change sets with direct updates, thinking that direct updates also provide a preview, or they may invent fictional options like 'Force rollback' or 'Preserve stack settings' that sound plausible but are not part of the CloudFormation service.
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
✓
Create a change set and review the changes before executing it.
A change set allows you to preview the changes that CloudFormation will make to your stack, including whether any resources will be replaced. By reviewing the change set, you can see if any resource replacement is listed and choose not to execute it if you want to avoid replacements. This gives you full control to update the stack only when no replacements are required.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use the direct update option with a template.
Why it's wrong here
Directly updating a CloudFormation stack by submitting a modified template immediately initiates the update process. This method does not provide a preview of the proposed changes, including whether resources will be replaced, modified in-place, or deleted. Consequently, using a direct update makes it impossible to identify and prevent unintended resource replacements before they occur, which can lead to service disruption or data loss in production environments.
- ✓
Create a change set and review the changes before executing it.
Why this is correct
Creating a change set allows you to preview the exact modifications CloudFormation will perform on your stack before applying them. The change set details which resources will be added, modified, or, critically, replaced, along with the specific properties that trigger these actions. By reviewing this detailed summary, administrators can identify and adjust the template to avoid unintended resource replacements, ensuring a controlled and predictable update process.
- ✗
Use the 'Force rollback' option to ensure no replacement.
Why it's wrong here
The 'Force rollback' concept, often related to rollback configurations or termination protection, does not prevent CloudFormation from attempting a resource replacement during a stack update. Instead, rollback mechanisms are designed to revert the stack to its previous stable state *if* the update process encounters an error or fails. Therefore, it acts as a recovery measure post-failure, rather than a preventative tool to avoid resource replacement in the first place.
- ✗
Use the 'Preserve stack settings' option when updating the stack.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation does not offer a specific 'Preserve stack settings' option during a stack update operation. While CloudFormation aims to preserve existing resources where possible through in-place updates, there isn't a distinct setting to explicitly prevent resource replacement by preserving arbitrary stack settings. This option is entirely fictitious within the AWS CloudFormation service and would not be found in the console or API.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This DVA-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 DVA-C02 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.