- A
Configure an SQS queue and have the Lambda function poll the queue for S3 event notifications.
Why wrong: Polling adds latency and complexity.
- B
Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger the Lambda function on a schedule.
Why wrong: Scheduled events are not event-driven from S3.
- C
Configure S3 event notifications to directly invoke the Lambda function.
Direct invocation provides the lowest latency.
- D
Publish S3 events to an SNS topic and subscribe the Lambda function to that topic.
Why wrong: SNS adds an extra hop, increasing latency.
Question 1,411 of 1,616
S3 Lambda Direct Trigger
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 building a data processing pipeline that uses AWS Lambda to process files uploaded to an S3 bucket. The S3 bucket receives thousands of files per second, and the developer wants to minimize processing latency. Which approach should the developer use to trigger the Lambda function?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
✓
Configure S3 event notifications to directly invoke the Lambda function.
Option C is correct because S3 can directly invoke a Lambda function synchronously via event notifications, which is the lowest-latency path for processing files as they arrive. This approach eliminates any intermediate components, allowing the Lambda function to be triggered within milliseconds of an object creation event in the S3 bucket.
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.
- ✗
Configure an SQS queue and have the Lambda function poll the queue for S3 event notifications.
Why it's wrong here
Polling adds latency and complexity.
- ✗
Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger the Lambda function on a schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled events are not event-driven from S3.
- ✓
Configure S3 event notifications to directly invoke the Lambda function.
Why this is correct
Direct invocation provides the lowest latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Publish S3 events to an SNS topic and subscribe the Lambda function to that topic.
Why it's wrong here
SNS adds an extra hop, increasing latency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may over-engineer the solution by adding SQS or SNS for decoupling, not realizing that S3 can directly invoke Lambda with minimal latency, and that the question explicitly prioritizes minimizing latency over other concerns like retry or fan-out.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 event notifications use a push model where the S3 service directly invokes the Lambda function via the AWS Lambda API, bypassing any intermediate queue or topic. This integration leverages the S3 bucket notification configuration with a Lambda function ARN as the destination, and Lambda scales automatically to handle concurrent invocations, making it suitable for high-throughput scenarios like processing thousands of files per second. In real-world pipelines, this direct invocation is critical for real-time analytics or image processing where even sub-second delays are unacceptable.
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
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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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: Configure S3 event notifications to directly invoke the Lambda function. — Option C is correct because S3 can directly invoke a Lambda function synchronously via event notifications, which is the lowest-latency path for processing files as they arrive. This approach eliminates any intermediate components, allowing the Lambda function to be triggered within milliseconds of an object creation event in the S3 bucket.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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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