Quick Answer
The correct choice is the JWT Authorizer, because it is the only API Gateway feature purpose-built to validate JWT token authentication without invoking a Lambda function. Unlike Lambda or Cognito authorizers, the JWT Authorizer natively verifies the token’s signature, expiry, issuer, and audience against a specified issuer URL and JWKS endpoint, making it the most efficient and secure option for JWT token authentication with API Gateway. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between API Gateway authorizer types—a common trap is choosing a Lambda authorizer when the requirement is simply JWT validation, which adds unnecessary cost and latency. Remember that if the question mentions “JWT” and “no custom validation logic,” the JWT Authorizer is always the direct answer. A useful memory tip: JWT Authorizer = “no Lambda, just JWKS.”
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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 developer is building a serverless application using API Gateway and Lambda. The developer needs to authenticate users with a JWT token. Which API Gateway feature should be used?
Lambda Authorizer
Why wrong: Lambda authorizer can validate JWTs but is more complex than needed.
IAM Authorizer
Why wrong: IAM authorizer uses IAM credentials, not JWTs.
JWT Authorizer
API Gateway JWT authorizer validates JWTs from a third-party issuer.
Amazon Cognito User Pools
Why wrong: Cognito can issue JWTs, but the question is about authenticating an existing JWT.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
JWT Authorizer
Option C is correct because API Gateway's JWT Authorizer is specifically designed to validate JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) directly, without invoking a Lambda function. It verifies the token's signature, expiry, and issuer against a specified issuer URL and audience, making it the most efficient and purpose-built choice for JWT authentication in API Gateway.
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.
Lambda Authorizer
Why it's wrong here
Lambda authorizer can validate JWTs but is more complex than needed.
IAM Authorizer
Why it's wrong here
IAM authorizer uses IAM credentials, not JWTs.
JWT Authorizer
Why this is correct
API Gateway JWT authorizer validates JWTs from a third-party issuer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Cognito User Pools
Why it's wrong here
Cognito can issue JWTs, but the question is about authenticating an existing JWT.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the JWT Authorizer with a Lambda Authorizer, thinking they need custom code to validate a JWT, when in fact the JWT Authorizer handles standard JWT validation natively without a Lambda function.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the JWT Authorizer in API Gateway uses the JSON Web Key Set (JWKS) endpoint from the token issuer to fetch public keys and verify the token's RSA or ECDSA signature. It also automatically checks the 'exp' (expiration) and 'iat' (issued at) claims, and you can configure additional claim validation via a mapping template. In a real-world scenario, if you use a third-party IdP like Auth0 or Okta, the JWT Authorizer can directly validate their tokens without writing a single line of code, reducing cold start latency and operational overhead.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: JWT Authorizer — Option C is correct because API Gateway's JWT Authorizer is specifically designed to validate JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) directly, without invoking a Lambda function. It verifies the token's signature, expiry, and issuer against a specified issuer URL and audience, making it the most efficient and purpose-built choice for JWT authentication in API Gateway.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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.
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