- A
Configure the ALB target group to authenticate using the OIDC identity provider.
Why wrong: Authentication is configured on the listener rule, not the target group.
- B
Use AWS Lambda@Edge to authenticate users at the edge.
Why wrong: Lambda@Edge is used with CloudFront, not ALB.
- C
Configure the ALB to use the OIDC identity provider for user authentication. Use the identity token to assume an IAM role via web identity federation.
ALB supports OIDC authentication and the application can use the token to assume an IAM role.
- D
Use Amazon Cognito user pools as the OIDC provider and integrate with ALB.
Why wrong: Cognito can be used but is not necessary; ALB natively supports OIDC.
Question 1,397 of 1,616
How to Offload Authentication to ALB with OIDC and IAM Roles
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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 company runs a critical web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The application needs to authenticate users via an external OpenID Connect (OIDC) identity provider. The company wants to offload authentication to the load balancer and use IAM roles to access AWS resources. Which solution should the developer implement?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the ALB to use the OIDC identity provider for user authentication. Use the identity token to assume an IAM role via web identity federation.
Option C is correct because the Application Load Balancer (ALB) can directly authenticate users against an external OpenID Connect (OIDC) identity provider using its native OIDC authentication action. After successful authentication, the ALB passes the ID token to the backend application, which can then use the AWS Security Token Service (STS) AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity API to exchange the token for temporary AWS credentials, allowing the application to access AWS resources via an IAM role without managing long-term keys.
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.
- ✗
Configure the ALB target group to authenticate using the OIDC identity provider.
Why it's wrong here
Authentication is configured on the listener rule, not the target group.
- ✗
Use AWS Lambda@Edge to authenticate users at the edge.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda@Edge is used with CloudFront, not ALB.
- ✓
Configure the ALB to use the OIDC identity provider for user authentication. Use the identity token to assume an IAM role via web identity federation.
Why this is correct
ALB supports OIDC authentication and the application can use the token to assume an IAM role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Amazon Cognito user pools as the OIDC provider and integrate with ALB.
Why it's wrong here
Cognito can be used but is not necessary; ALB natively supports OIDC.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse target group configuration with listener rule authentication actions, or assume that Cognito is required for any OIDC integration with ALB, when in fact ALB natively supports external OIDC providers directly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The ALB OIDC authentication action implements the Authorization Code flow with PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange) as per RFC 7636, where the ALB acts as the OAuth 2.0 client. After authentication, the ID token (a JWT) is available in the X-Amzn-Oidc-Data header, and the application can call STS AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity with the token's subject and issuer to obtain temporary credentials scoped to a specific IAM role, enabling fine-grained access control without storing AWS credentials in the application.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the ALB to use the OIDC identity provider for user authentication. Use the identity token to assume an IAM role via web identity federation. — Option C is correct because the Application Load Balancer (ALB) can directly authenticate users against an external OpenID Connect (OIDC) identity provider using its native OIDC authentication action. After successful authentication, the ALB passes the ID token to the backend application, which can then use the AWS Security Token Service (STS) AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity API to exchange the token for temporary AWS credentials, allowing the application to access AWS resources via an IAM role without managing long-term keys.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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