- A
Use Amazon Cognito user pools for user authentication and to generate JWT tokens.
Correct: Cognito user pools handle authentication.
- B
Configure the API to use AWS IAM roles for authentication by passing the role ARN in the request.
Why wrong: Incorrect: IAM roles are for service-to-service, not external users.
- C
Create a Lambda authorizer that validates a JWT token from a third-party identity provider.
Correct: Lambda authorizer can validate custom tokens.
- D
Enable Amazon Cognito as an authorizer in the API Gateway method request settings.
Correct: API Gateway can use Cognito as an authorizer.
- E
Attach a resource policy to the API Gateway that allows only specific IAM users.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Resource policies are for cross-account access.
Question 137 of 1,616
Steps to Secure API Gateway with Cognito and Lambda Authorizer
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 RESTful API using AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway. The API will be accessed by external customers. The developer needs to implement authentication and authorization. Which THREE steps should the developer take to secure the API? (Choose three.)
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 Amazon Cognito user pools for user authentication and to generate JWT tokens.
Option A is correct because Amazon Cognito user pools provide a fully managed service for user authentication, allowing users to sign in and receive JSON Web Tokens (JWT). These tokens can then be used to authorize API requests, integrating directly with API Gateway as a built-in authorizer to secure the RESTful API.
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 Amazon Cognito user pools for user authentication and to generate JWT tokens.
Why this is correct
Correct: Cognito user pools handle authentication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure the API to use AWS IAM roles for authentication by passing the role ARN in the request.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: IAM roles are for service-to-service, not external users.
- ✓
Create a Lambda authorizer that validates a JWT token from a third-party identity provider.
Why this is correct
Correct: Lambda authorizer can validate custom tokens.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable Amazon Cognito as an authorizer in the API Gateway method request settings.
Why this is correct
Correct: API Gateway can use Cognito as an authorizer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Attach a resource policy to the API Gateway that allows only specific IAM users.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Resource policies are for cross-account access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse IAM roles with user authentication, thinking that passing a role ARN in the request is valid, when in fact IAM authorization requires signed requests and is not suitable for external customer authentication without AWS credentials.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon Cognito user pools issue JWT tokens that contain claims about the authenticated user, which API Gateway can validate using a built-in Cognito authorizer without custom code. For third-party identity providers, a Lambda authorizer (custom authorizer) can validate JWT tokens by checking the token's signature and expiry, returning an IAM policy to allow or deny the request. This approach decouples authentication from the API logic and supports OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect flows.
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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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 Amazon Cognito user pools for user authentication and to generate JWT tokens. — Option A is correct because Amazon Cognito user pools provide a fully managed service for user authentication, allowing users to sign in and receive JSON Web Tokens (JWT). These tokens can then be used to authorize API requests, integrating directly with API Gateway as a built-in authorizer to secure the RESTful API.
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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