- A
Deliver CloudTrail logs to an S3 bucket, enable S3 Event Notifications to trigger a Lambda function that filters and publishes to SNS.
This is efficient and scalable because S3 events are near-real-time and Lambda can filter precisely.
- B
Create a CloudWatch Events rule that matches the specific API calls and publishes to an SNS topic.
Why wrong: While possible, this is less efficient because CloudTrail logs already go to S3; using S3 events is more scalable and cost-effective for high-volume accounts.
- C
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to query CloudTrail logs and set up a metric filter with an alarm.
Why wrong: This is not near-real-time; it requires periodic queries and is not event-driven.
- D
Enable AWS Config rules to detect changes and trigger an SNS notification.
Why wrong: Config rules evaluate resource configuration changes, not API calls, so they may not capture all high-risk actions.
DOP-C02 Monitoring and Logging Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring and logging. 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 company uses AWS CloudTrail to log API activity across multiple accounts in AWS Organizations. The security team wants to receive near-real-time notifications for specific high-risk API calls, such as IAM policy changes or S3 bucket policy modifications. What is the MOST efficient and scalable solution?
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
Deliver CloudTrail logs to an S3 bucket, enable S3 Event Notifications to trigger a Lambda function that filters and publishes to SNS.
Option A is correct because it uses S3 Event Notifications to trigger a Lambda function in near-real-time when CloudTrail logs are delivered to S3. The Lambda function can filter for specific high-risk API calls (e.g., IAM policy changes, S3 bucket policy modifications) and publish only relevant events to an SNS topic, providing a scalable and cost-effective solution that avoids polling or complex querying.
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.
- ✓
Deliver CloudTrail logs to an S3 bucket, enable S3 Event Notifications to trigger a Lambda function that filters and publishes to SNS.
Why this is correct
This is efficient and scalable because S3 events are near-real-time and Lambda can filter precisely.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a CloudWatch Events rule that matches the specific API calls and publishes to an SNS topic.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, this is less efficient because CloudTrail logs already go to S3; using S3 events is more scalable and cost-effective for high-volume accounts.
- ✗
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to query CloudTrail logs and set up a metric filter with an alarm.
Why it's wrong here
This is not near-real-time; it requires periodic queries and is not event-driven.
- ✗
Enable AWS Config rules to detect changes and trigger an SNS notification.
Why it's wrong here
Config rules evaluate resource configuration changes, not API calls, so they may not capture all high-risk actions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume CloudWatch Events (EventBridge) is the default choice for real-time CloudTrail monitoring, but they overlook that S3 Event Notifications with Lambda provide a more direct and scalable path for filtering high-volume log data without the overhead of streaming all logs to CloudWatch Logs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 Event Notifications are delivered within seconds of object creation, making them suitable for near-real-time processing. The Lambda function can use the AWS SDK to parse CloudTrail JSON records, filter by eventName (e.g., PutRolePolicy, PutBucketPolicy), and publish to SNS, which then sends notifications via email, SMS, or HTTP endpoints. This architecture decouples log ingestion from notification logic, allowing independent scaling and easy addition of custom filtering or enrichment.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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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Monitoring and Logging — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Monitoring and Logging — This question tests Monitoring and Logging — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deliver CloudTrail logs to an S3 bucket, enable S3 Event Notifications to trigger a Lambda function that filters and publishes to SNS. — Option A is correct because it uses S3 Event Notifications to trigger a Lambda function in near-real-time when CloudTrail logs are delivered to S3. The Lambda function can filter for specific high-risk API calls (e.g., IAM policy changes, S3 bucket policy modifications) and publish only relevant events to an SNS topic, providing a scalable and cost-effective solution that avoids polling or complex querying.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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