The answer is Option B, which grants only dynamodb:GetItem and sqs:SendMessage actions scoped to the exact resource ARNs. This is correct because the principle of least privilege demands that an IAM role for a Lambda function should permit only the specific operations required—reading a single item from DynamoDB and sending a message to SQS—without allowing broader actions like Scan, Query, or ReceiveMessage that could introduce security risks. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between granular permissions and overly permissive wildcard policies; a common trap is selecting actions like dynamodb:* or sqs:* which violate least privilege. Remember that DynamoDB reads are typically GetItem or Query, while SQS writes are SendMessage—never grant more than the function’s exact need. A useful memory tip: “Get and Send, not all and end.”
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
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 Lambda function needs to read from a DynamoDB table and send messages to an SQS queue. The function's IAM role should follow the principle of least privilege. Which policy statement should be attached to the role?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Option B is correct because it grants only the specific DynamoDB read action (GetItem) needed to read from the table and the specific SQS write action (SendMessage) needed to send messages to the queue, scoped to the exact resource ARNs. This adheres to the principle of least privilege by not allowing any unnecessary operations or resources.
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.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose a wildcard resource or overly broad actions (like dynamodb:* or sqs:*) because they think it's simpler, failing to recognize that the principle of least privilege requires scoping both actions and resources to the minimum necessary.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, IAM policy evaluation uses the explicit deny override and the least-privilege model; granting only dynamodb:GetItem ensures the Lambda function cannot accidentally or maliciously modify table data. In a real-world scenario, if the function later needed to read multiple items, you would add dynamodb:Query or dynamodb:Scan instead of broadening to dynamodb:*. The SQS SendMessage action is idempotent and does not require queue attributes or message visibility changes, so no additional SQS permissions are needed.
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: {"Effect":"Allow","Action":["dynamodb:GetItem"],"Resource":"arn:aws:dynamodb:us-east-1:123456789012:table/MyTable"}, {"Effect":"Allow","Action":["sqs:SendMessage"],"Resource":"arn:aws:sqs:us-east-1:123456789012:MyQueue"} — Option B is correct because it grants only the specific DynamoDB read action (GetItem) needed to read from the table and the specific SQS write action (SendMessage) needed to send messages to the queue, scoped to the exact resource ARNs. This adheres to the principle of least privilege by not allowing any unnecessary operations or resources.
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: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.