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 call AWS APIs from application code running on EC2. Which credential source should the AWS SDK use by default?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Temporary credentials from the instance profile role
Option D is correct because the AWS SDK on EC2 automatically retrieves temporary credentials from the instance metadata service (IMDS) at http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/. These credentials are provided by the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance (the instance profile role) and are rotated automatically, eliminating the need to store long-term credentials on the instance.
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.
✗
Static credentials committed to Git
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
✗
A credentials file copied into the AMI
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
✗
The root account access key
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
✓
Temporary credentials from the instance profile role
Why this is correct
Correct for the stated requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think manually embedding credentials (via a file or environment variable) is acceptable, but the AWS SDK on EC2 is designed to use the instance profile role by default, and any static credential source is both insecure and not the default behavior.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The AWS SDK uses a credential provider chain that checks environment variables, the shared credentials file (~/.aws/credentials), and then the EC2 instance metadata service (IMDSv1 or IMDSv2). On EC2, the IMDS endpoint returns temporary credentials (access key, secret key, and session token) from the instance profile role, which are valid for a configurable duration (default 6 hours) and automatically refreshed by the SDK. This mechanism ensures that credentials are never hardcoded and are rotated without application downtime.
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: Temporary credentials from the instance profile role — Option D is correct because the AWS SDK on EC2 automatically retrieves temporary credentials from the instance metadata service (IMDS) at http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/. These credentials are provided by the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance (the instance profile role) and are rotated automatically, eliminating the need to store long-term credentials on the instance.
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.
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.