- A
Amazon CloudWatch Events
Why wrong: CloudWatch Events schedule or pattern events, not S3 object creation.
- B
Amazon SQS
Why wrong: SQS is a message queue; S3 can send events to SQS, but not directly trigger Lambda.
- C
Amazon SNS
Why wrong: SNS is used for pub/sub; S3 can send to SNS, but direct Lambda trigger is simpler.
- D
Amazon S3 Event Notifications
S3 can directly invoke Lambda via event notifications on object creation.
Question 1,169 of 1,616
Trigger Lambda from S3
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 serverless application using AWS Lambda that processes files uploaded to an S3 bucket. The function needs to read the file content and store metadata in DynamoDB. Which AWS service should be used to trigger the Lambda function when a new object is created in S3?
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
✓
Amazon S3 Event Notifications
Amazon S3 Event Notifications (Option D) are the native mechanism for S3 to publish events (e.g., s3:ObjectCreated:*) directly to AWS Lambda, SQS, or SNS when an object is created. This is the simplest and most direct way to trigger a Lambda function for file processing without needing additional services.
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.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Events
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Events schedule or pattern events, not S3 object creation.
- ✗
Amazon SQS
Why it's wrong here
SQS is a message queue; S3 can send events to SQS, but not directly trigger Lambda.
- ✗
Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
SNS is used for pub/sub; S3 can send to SNS, but direct Lambda trigger is simpler.
- ✓
Amazon S3 Event Notifications
Why this is correct
S3 can directly invoke Lambda via event notifications on object creation.
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 overcomplicate the solution by choosing SQS or SNS, thinking they need a decoupling layer, but the question asks for the service that directly triggers the Lambda when an object is created — which is S3 Event Notifications, not a message broker.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 Event Notifications work by configuring a notification on the S3 bucket for specific event types (e.g., s3:ObjectCreated:Put) and a destination (Lambda function ARN). Under the hood, S3 publishes the event to the Lambda service, which then invokes the function asynchronously with an event payload containing bucket name, object key, size, and ETag. A subtle behavior is that S3 event notifications are typically delivered within seconds but are 'at least once' — meaning the same event could be delivered multiple times, so the Lambda code should be idempotent (e.g., checking DynamoDB for existing metadata before inserting).
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.
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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: Amazon S3 Event Notifications — Amazon S3 Event Notifications (Option D) are the native mechanism for S3 to publish events (e.g., s3:ObjectCreated:*) directly to AWS Lambda, SQS, or SNS when an object is created. This is the simplest and most direct way to trigger a Lambda function for file processing without needing additional services.
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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