This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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 needs to grant a Lambda function permission to write logs to CloudWatch Logs. Which IAM entity should be used?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an IAM execution role with the necessary permissions and associate it with the function.
Lambda functions require an IAM execution role to obtain temporary credentials for accessing other AWS services. This role must include a trust policy allowing Lambda to assume it and a permissions policy granting the specific actions (e.g., logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, logs:PutLogEvents) on CloudWatch Logs. Associating this role with the function is the standard and secure way to grant permissions.
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.
✗
Attach an inline policy to the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Inline policies are not attached to Lambda functions directly.
✓
Create an IAM execution role with the necessary permissions and associate it with the function.
Why this is correct
Execution roles are the standard way to grant permissions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a service control policy (SCP) to allow logging.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs apply to accounts, not individual functions.
✗
Add a resource-based policy to the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Resource-based policies are for granting access to other AWS services, not for the function's own actions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing the entity that receives permissions (the Lambda function) with the mechanism that grants them (an execution role), leading candidates to incorrectly select attaching a policy directly to the function or using a resource-based policy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a Lambda function is invoked, the Lambda service assumes the execution role on your behalf using the AWS Security Token Service (STS) to generate temporary credentials that are injected into the function's environment. These credentials are valid for the duration of the invocation and are automatically rotated, eliminating the need for long-term access keys. A common real-world pitfall is forgetting to include the logs:CreateLogGroup permission, which causes the first invocation to fail silently if the log group does not already exist.
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: Create an IAM execution role with the necessary permissions and associate it with the function. — Lambda functions require an IAM execution role to obtain temporary credentials for accessing other AWS services. This role must include a trust policy allowing Lambda to assume it and a permissions policy granting the specific actions (e.g., logs:CreateLogGroup, logs:CreateLogStream, logs:PutLogEvents) on CloudWatch Logs. Associating this role with the function is the standard and secure way to grant permissions.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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
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