DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Resources:
MyBucket:
Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
Properties:
BucketName: my-unique-bucket-12345
VersioningConfiguration:
Status: EnabledA developer creates an AWS CloudFormation stack with the template snippet shown. The stack creation fails with the error: "Bucket with name my-unique-bucket-12345 already exists." What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume bucket names only need to be unique within their own account or region, but AWS S3 enforces global uniqueness across all accounts and regions, making Option D a plausible but incorrect choice.
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
✓
The bucket name is already taken by another AWS account.
The error message 'Bucket with name my-unique-bucket-12345 already exists' indicates that the bucket name is globally unique across all AWS accounts. Since the bucket name is already taken, the most likely cause is that another AWS account has already created a bucket with that exact name. S3 bucket names are unique across all of AWS, not just within a single account or region.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The developer does not have permission to create S3 buckets.
Why it's wrong here
If the developer lacked the necessary IAM permissions to create S3 buckets, CloudFormation would typically fail with an `AccessDenied` or `UnauthorizedOperation` error. This error would occur during the `CREATE_IN_PROGRESS` phase for the S3 bucket resource, indicating a permission issue rather than a conflict over the bucket name itself. The specific error message `BucketAlreadyExists` clearly points to a naming conflict, not an authorization failure.
- ✓
The bucket name is already taken by another AWS account.
Why this is correct
S3 bucket names are globally unique across all AWS accounts and regions. This means that if another AWS account has already registered the desired bucket name, any attempt to create a new bucket with that exact name, even in a different account or region, will result in a `BucketAlreadyExists` error. This fundamental constraint ensures a unique namespace for all S3 resources worldwide.
- ✗
The CloudFormation template has a syntax error.
Why it's wrong here
A syntax error within the CloudFormation template would typically be caught during the initial template validation phase before any resources are provisioned. CloudFormation would report a `Template validation error` or `MalformedTemplate` error, preventing stack creation from proceeding. It would not advance to the point of attempting to create an S3 bucket and then encounter a `BucketAlreadyExists` error, as the template itself would be deemed invalid first.
- ✗
The bucket name was used by another stack in the same account.
Why it's wrong here
If the bucket name was previously used by another stack in the same AWS account and that bucket was subsequently deleted, there might be a brief period of unavailability due to eventual consistency. However, if a bucket with that name still exists in the same account and region (e.g., created manually or by another active stack), CloudFormation would typically return a `BucketAlreadyOwnedByYou` error. The generic `BucketAlreadyExists` error, without further qualification, most strongly implies a global naming conflict with a bucket owned by a *different* AWS account.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.