- A
Use the AWS account root user credentials.
Why wrong: Root credentials should never be used for programmatic access; they are too powerful.
- B
Store the AWS access key and secret access key in the Lambda environment variables.
Why wrong: Hardcoding credentials is insecure and not recommended.
- C
Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and assign it as the Lambda execution role.
This is the secure and standard way to grant permissions.
- D
Use a resource-based policy on the DynamoDB table to allow the Lambda function.
Why wrong: DynamoDB does not support resource-based policies; IAM roles are used.
Question 329 of 1,616
Lambda Access to DynamoDB
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 needs to access a DynamoDB table from a Lambda function. The Lambda function is in the same AWS account as the DynamoDB table. What is the most secure way to grant the Lambda function access to the DynamoDB table?
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
✓
Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and assign it as the Lambda execution role.
Option C is correct because the most secure way to grant a Lambda function access to DynamoDB is to create an IAM role with a policy that grants the necessary DynamoDB actions (e.g., dynamodb:GetItem, dynamodb:PutItem) and assign that role as the Lambda execution role. This follows the principle of least privilege and avoids hardcoding credentials, as Lambda automatically rotates and manages the temporary security credentials obtained via the IAM role's trust policy.
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.
- ✗
Use the AWS account root user credentials.
Why it's wrong here
Root credentials should never be used for programmatic access; they are too powerful.
- ✗
Store the AWS access key and secret access key in the Lambda environment variables.
Why it's wrong here
Hardcoding credentials is insecure and not recommended.
- ✓
Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and assign it as the Lambda execution role.
Why this is correct
This is the secure and standard way to grant permissions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a resource-based policy on the DynamoDB table to allow the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB does not support resource-based policies; IAM roles are used.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse resource-based policies (commonly used with services like S3 or SQS) with IAM execution roles, not realizing that DynamoDB does not support resource-based policies for granting access to Lambda functions, and that the correct mechanism is always an IAM role assumed by the Lambda service.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, when a Lambda function is invoked, the Lambda service assumes the execution role using AWS Security Token Service (STS) to obtain temporary credentials that are injected into the function's environment. These credentials are automatically rotated and have a limited lifetime (typically up to 6 hours), reducing the risk of credential exposure. In a real-world scenario, if you need to restrict access to specific items or attributes, you can use IAM condition keys like dynamodb:LeadingKeys or fine-grained access control in the IAM policy.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
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Development with AWS Services — study guide chapter
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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: Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and assign it as the Lambda execution role. — Option C is correct because the most secure way to grant a Lambda function access to DynamoDB is to create an IAM role with a policy that grants the necessary DynamoDB actions (e.g., dynamodb:GetItem, dynamodb:PutItem) and assign that role as the Lambda execution role. This follows the principle of least privilege and avoids hardcoding credentials, as Lambda automatically rotates and manages the temporary security credentials obtained via the IAM role's trust policy.
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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