- A
Use an asynchronous invocation pattern with a queue to decouple the HTTP request.
Asynchronous processing prevents timeouts by returning immediately.
- B
Place the Lambda function in a VPC to improve network latency.
Why wrong: VPC placement does not reduce HTTP request time; it may add latency.
- C
Increase the Lambda function timeout to 10 seconds.
A higher timeout accommodates slow responses.
- D
Reduce the batch size in the event source mapping.
Why wrong: Batch size is for SQS/S3 events, not for HTTP requests.
- E
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff in the function code.
Retries can handle occasional slow responses.
Question 1,584 of 1,616
Lambda Timeout from External API Strategies
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 troubleshooting a Lambda function that is failing with a 'Task timed out' error. The function is configured with a 3-second timeout. The function makes an HTTP request to an external API that sometimes takes more than 3 seconds to respond. Which THREE actions should the developer take to resolve this issue?
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
✓
Use an asynchronous invocation pattern with a queue to decouple the HTTP request.
Option A is correct because using an asynchronous invocation pattern with a queue (e.g., Amazon SQS) decouples the Lambda function from the HTTP request. The function can publish the request to a queue and return immediately, while a separate process or another Lambda function polls the queue and handles the HTTP call, avoiding the 3-second timeout. This pattern also improves scalability and fault tolerance by buffering requests.
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 an asynchronous invocation pattern with a queue to decouple the HTTP request.
Why this is correct
Asynchronous processing prevents timeouts by returning immediately.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Place the Lambda function in a VPC to improve network latency.
Why it's wrong here
VPC placement does not reduce HTTP request time; it may add latency.
- ✓
Increase the Lambda function timeout to 10 seconds.
Why this is correct
A higher timeout accommodates slow responses.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reduce the batch size in the event source mapping.
Why it's wrong here
Batch size is for SQS/S3 events, not for HTTP requests.
- ✓
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff in the function code.
Why this is correct
Retries can handle occasional slow responses.
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 placing the function in a VPC (Option B) reduces network latency, but VPC placement actually adds overhead and does not affect external API response times, while reducing batch size (Option D) is a common distractor that addresses throughput, not timeout errors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'Task timed out' error occurs when the function's configured timeout (3 seconds) is exceeded. Lambda enforces a hard timeout at the configured value, terminating the execution immediately. Increasing the timeout (Option C) is a valid fix if the API's response time is occasionally above 3 seconds but within a reasonable bound (e.g., 10 seconds). Retry logic with exponential backoff (Option E) helps handle transient failures but does not prevent timeouts if the API consistently takes longer than the timeout; it is useful when combined with a higher timeout or async patterns.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
Visual reference
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
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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: Use an asynchronous invocation pattern with a queue to decouple the HTTP request. — Option A is correct because using an asynchronous invocation pattern with a queue (e.g., Amazon SQS) decouples the Lambda function from the HTTP request. The function can publish the request to a queue and return immediately, while a separate process or another Lambda function polls the queue and handles the HTTP call, avoiding the 3-second timeout. This pattern also improves scalability and fault tolerance by buffering requests.
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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