Quick Answer
The best practice for storing database credentials in Elastic Beanstalk is to store them in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime. This approach is correct because Secrets Manager provides secure, encrypted storage with automatic rotation capabilities, ensuring that sensitive database credentials are never exposed in plaintext within your application code, configuration files, or environment variables. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of secure secret management versus common insecure patterns—a frequent trap is assuming environment variables are safe, but they can be leaked in logs or through the Elastic Beanstalk console. Remember that hardcoding credentials (option A) is always wrong, and while S3 with server-side encryption might seem viable, it lacks native rotation and access auditing. A simple memory tip: “Secrets Manager for secrets, never hardcode or expose in env.”
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. 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 developer is deploying an application using AWS Elastic Beanstalk. The application needs to connect to an Amazon RDS database. What is the best practice for storing database credentials?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Hardcode the credentials in the application code.
Why wrong: Insecure and not a best practice.
Store credentials in Elastic Beanstalk environment properties.
Why wrong: Properties can be exposed in logs.
Store credentials in an Amazon S3 bucket with public read access.
Why wrong: Public access is insecure.
Store credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime.
Secrets Manager provides secure storage and rotation.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Store credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime.
Option C is correct because AWS Secrets Manager is designed for securely storing and rotating secrets. Option A is wrong because hardcoding credentials is insecure. Option B is wrong because environment variables can be exposed in logs. Option D is wrong because S3 is not secure for credentials without encryption.
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.
Hardcode the credentials in the application code.
Why it's wrong here
Insecure and not a best practice.
Store credentials in Elastic Beanstalk environment properties.
Why it's wrong here
Properties can be exposed in logs.
Store credentials in an Amazon S3 bucket with public read access.
Why it's wrong here
Public access is insecure.
Store credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime.
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager provides secure storage and rotation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Identify which DVA-C02 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.
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FAQ
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Store credentials in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieve them at runtime. — Option C is correct because AWS Secrets Manager is designed for securely storing and rotating secrets. Option A is wrong because hardcoding credentials is insecure. Option B is wrong because environment variables can be exposed in logs. Option D is wrong because S3 is not secure for credentials without encryption.
Identify which DVA-C02 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.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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