This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 deploying a Lambda function that needs to write logs to CloudWatch Logs. The function's execution role has the AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole managed policy attached. However, logs are not being written. What is the MOST likely reason?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The log group does not exist and the Lambda function cannot create it due to a resource-based policy.
The AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole managed policy grants permissions to create log streams and write logs to CloudWatch Logs, but it does not grant the `logs:CreateLogGroup` permission. If the log group does not already exist, the Lambda function will fail to write logs because it cannot create the log group. A resource-based policy on the log group can further restrict creation, but the primary issue is the missing `logs:CreateLogGroup` permission in the execution role.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 Lambda function is using a customer-managed KMS key for log encryption.
Why it's wrong here
That would require additional permissions, but the error would be different.
✗
The CloudWatch Logs agent is not installed on the Lambda execution environment.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda uses a built-in logger, not an agent.
✓
The log group does not exist and the Lambda function cannot create it due to a resource-based policy.
Why this is correct
The basic policy allows creation, but if a resource-based policy is blocking, it could fail.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The Lambda function's execution role does not have sufficient permissions.
Why it's wrong here
AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole should provide enough permissions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole includes all necessary CloudWatch Logs permissions, but it deliberately excludes `logs:CreateLogGroup`, so the log group must exist beforehand.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Lambda runtime calls the CloudWatch Logs `PutLogEvents` API, which requires the log group and log stream to exist. The AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole includes `logs:CreateLogStream` and `logs:PutLogEvents` but explicitly omits `logs:CreateLogGroup` to enforce that log groups are created by administrators via CloudFormation or the console. In a real-world scenario, if a log group is deleted or never created, the Lambda function will fail silently or throw a `ResourceNotFoundException`, which is a common misconfiguration when deploying Lambda functions without pre-provisioning the log group.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The log group does not exist and the Lambda function cannot create it due to a resource-based policy. — The AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole managed policy grants permissions to create log streams and write logs to CloudWatch Logs, but it does not grant the `logs:CreateLogGroup` permission. If the log group does not already exist, the Lambda function will fail to write logs because it cannot create the log group. A resource-based policy on the log group can further restrict creation, but the primary issue is the missing `logs:CreateLogGroup` permission in the execution role.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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