Quick Answer
The correct commands are sam package and sam deploy, used sequentially to package and deploy a serverless application. The sam package command uploads your Lambda function code, API Gateway definitions, and other artifacts to an S3 bucket, then generates a packaged AWS CloudFormation template with the updated S3 references. The sam deploy command then takes that packaged template and provisions or updates the stack, including your Lambda functions, API Gateway REST API, and DynamoDB table, in a single step. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this tests your understanding of the SAM CLI workflow versus raw AWS CLI commands—a common trap is confusing sam build (which only compiles code locally) with sam package, or thinking aws cloudformation package alone handles deployment. Remember the memory tip: "Package uploads, deploy provisions—never mix build with package."
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. 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 wants to deploy a serverless application using AWS SAM. The application consists of multiple Lambda functions, an API Gateway REST API, and a DynamoDB table. The developer wants to define the application in a single template and deploy it using the AWS CLI. Which command should the developer use to package and deploy the application?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
sam build and sam deploy
Why wrong: sam build is for building locally, not packaging.
sam package and sam deploy
These are the SAM CLI commands to package and deploy.
aws cloudformation package and aws cloudformation deploy
Why wrong: These commands work but are not the recommended SAM approach; SAM CLI provides sam package and sam deploy.
aws s3 cp and aws cloudformation create-stack
Why wrong: This is manual and error-prone.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
sam package and sam deploy
Option B is correct because 'sam package' uploads the artifacts to S3 and generates a packaged template, and 'sam deploy' deploys it. Option A is wrong because 'aws cloudformation package' requires manual deploy. Option C is wrong because 'sam build' is for building locally but not for packaging. Option D is wrong because 'aws s3 cp' only uploads files, not a template.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
sam build and sam deploy
Why it's wrong here
sam build is for building locally, not packaging.
sam package and sam deploy
Why this is correct
These are the SAM CLI commands to package and deploy.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
aws cloudformation package and aws cloudformation deploy
Why it's wrong here
These commands work but are not the recommended SAM approach; SAM CLI provides sam package and sam deploy.
aws s3 cp and aws cloudformation create-stack
Why it's wrong here
This is manual and error-prone.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
These commands work but are not the recommended SAM approach; SAM CLI provides sam package and sam deploy.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which DVA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Deployment — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: sam package and sam deploy — Option B is correct because 'sam package' uploads the artifacts to S3 and generates a packaged template, and 'sam deploy' deploys it. Option A is wrong because 'aws cloudformation package' requires manual deploy. Option C is wrong because 'sam build' is for building locally but not for packaging. Option D is wrong because 'aws s3 cp' only uploads files, not a template.
Identify which DVA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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