- A
Set the DeletionPolicy attribute to Delete.
Delete causes the bucket to be deleted when the stack is deleted.
- B
Specify a unique bucket name to avoid conflicts.
Why wrong: Bucket name uniqueness does not affect deletion.
- C
Use the DependsOn attribute to specify the bucket depends on the stack.
Why wrong: DependsOn does not affect deletion behavior.
- D
Set the DeletionPolicy attribute to Retain.
Why wrong: Retain keeps the bucket after stack deletion.
Question 408 of 1,616
CloudFormation DeletionPolicy for S3 Buckets
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 developer is creating a CloudFormation template to deploy an Amazon S3 bucket. The developer wants the bucket to be deleted automatically when the CloudFormation stack is deleted. What should the developer specify in the template?
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
✓
Set the DeletionPolicy attribute to Delete.
The `DeletionPolicy` attribute in AWS CloudFormation controls what happens to a resource when its stack is deleted. By setting `DeletionPolicy: Delete` on the S3 bucket resource, the developer ensures that the bucket is automatically deleted when the stack is deleted. This is the default behavior for most resources, but explicitly setting it confirms the intent and overrides any other policy like `Retain`.
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.
- ✓
Set the DeletionPolicy attribute to Delete.
Why this is correct
Delete causes the bucket to be deleted when the stack is deleted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Specify a unique bucket name to avoid conflicts.
Why it's wrong here
Bucket name uniqueness does not affect deletion.
- ✗
Use the DependsOn attribute to specify the bucket depends on the stack.
Why it's wrong here
DependsOn does not affect deletion behavior.
- ✗
Set the DeletionPolicy attribute to Retain.
Why it's wrong here
Retain keeps the bucket after stack deletion.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `DeletionPolicy` with `UpdatePolicy` or assume that `Retain` is the default, leading them to choose Option D, when in fact `Delete` is the default and correct choice for automatic deletion.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudFormation evaluates the `DeletionPolicy` during stack deletion. If set to `Delete` (the default for S3 buckets), CloudFormation sends a `DeleteBucket` API call. However, a subtle behavior is that if the bucket is not empty, the deletion will fail unless the `DeletionPolicy` is set to `Retain` or the bucket is emptied first. In real-world scenarios, developers often use `DeletionPolicy: Retain` for S3 buckets containing critical data to prevent accidental data loss during stack deletion.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
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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: Set the DeletionPolicy attribute to Delete. — The `DeletionPolicy` attribute in AWS CloudFormation controls what happens to a resource when its stack is deleted. By setting `DeletionPolicy: Delete` on the S3 bucket resource, the developer ensures that the bucket is automatically deleted when the stack is deleted. This is the default behavior for most resources, but explicitly setting it confirms the intent and overrides any other policy like `Retain`.
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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