DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
An application uses DynamoDB Streams to trigger downstream processing. The processor must receive both old and new item images after updates. Which stream view type should be configured?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse the stream view types and assume NEW_IMAGE alone is sufficient for updates, forgetting that the requirement explicitly demands both old and new images for complete state comparison.
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
✓
NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES
B is correct because DynamoDB Streams must be configured with the NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES stream view type to capture both the item's state before and after a write operation (update, insert, or delete). This ensures the downstream processor receives the complete old and new item data, which is required for use cases like auditing, change data capture, or reconciling state changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
KEYS_ONLY
Why it's wrong here
Choosing KEYS_ONLY for a DynamoDB Stream means that only the primary key attributes of the modified item are sent to the stream. This view type is insufficient if the downstream application needs to inspect the actual attribute values that were changed or the item's full state. Without the old or new image data, the application cannot determine the nature of the modification beyond simply knowing that an item with a particular key was affected.
- ✓
NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES
Why this is correct
The NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES stream view type provides both the item's state immediately before and immediately after any modification. This comprehensive data is essential for downstream applications that need to perform detailed change detection, audit specific attribute transitions, or compute differences between the old and new versions of an item. It allows for robust processing logic that can react precisely to how an item's data has evolved.
- ✗
NEW_IMAGE only
Why it's wrong here
Selecting NEW_IMAGE only for a DynamoDB Stream means that only the item's attributes *after* the modification are sent. While this provides the current state, it critically lacks information about the item's previous values. Downstream applications cannot determine which specific attributes were altered or what their prior values were, making it challenging for scenarios requiring comparison or historical context.
- ✗
OLD_IMAGE only
Why it's wrong here
When OLD_IMAGE only is chosen for a DynamoDB Stream, the stream records contain only the item's attributes *before* the modification occurred. This view type is generally inadequate for most downstream processing needs because it does not provide the updated state of the item. An application consuming this stream would be unable to process the item as it currently exists or react to the final outcome of the database operation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 724 original DVA-C02 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.