This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. 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 CodeBuild to run unit tests and package a Java application. The build process takes 15 minutes. The team wants to reduce build time by caching dependencies. Which approach should the engineer recommend?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure CodeBuild to use Amazon S3 for cache storage and specify the cache directory in buildspec.yml
Option D is correct because CodeBuild natively supports Amazon S3 for cache storage, allowing you to persist dependency directories across builds. By specifying the cache type as S3 and the path to the dependency cache (e.g., /root/.m2 for Maven) in the buildspec.yml, subsequent builds can reuse previously downloaded dependencies, significantly reducing build time without additional infrastructure.
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.
✗
Store the compiled dependencies in a separate CodeCommit repository and clone it during the build
Why it's wrong here
Cloning a repository adds overhead and is not a caching mechanism.
✗
Mount an Amazon EFS file system to the build container and persist the cache across builds
Why it's wrong here
EFS can be used but is not directly supported by CodeBuild's cache feature; S3 is the recommended approach.
✗
Use an Application Load Balancer in front of a private artifact repository
Why it's wrong here
An ELB does not provide build caching.
✓
Configure CodeBuild to use Amazon S3 for cache storage and specify the cache directory in buildspec.yml
Why this is correct
S3 cache can store Maven local repository and other dependencies, reducing download time on subsequent builds.
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 confuse CodeBuild's lack of persistent local storage with the ability to mount external file systems like EFS, or they may think that cloning a repository is an efficient caching mechanism, when in fact CodeBuild's native S3 cache is the simplest and most effective solution for dependency caching.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CodeBuild's cache feature uses S3 as a key-value store where the cache key is derived from the build project and source version. For Maven builds, the cache directory is typically /root/.m2/repository; for Gradle, it is /root/.gradle/caches. The cache is downloaded at the start of the build and uploaded at the end, so the first build after a cache miss will still be slower, but subsequent builds reuse the cached artifacts. The cache size is limited to 10 GB per project, and the S3 bucket must be in the same AWS region as the CodeBuild project.
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.
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.
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure CodeBuild to use Amazon S3 for cache storage and specify the cache directory in buildspec.yml — Option D is correct because CodeBuild natively supports Amazon S3 for cache storage, allowing you to persist dependency directories across builds. By specifying the cache type as S3 and the path to the dependency cache (e.g., /root/.m2 for Maven) in the buildspec.yml, subsequent builds can reuse previously downloaded dependencies, significantly reducing build time without additional infrastructure.
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.
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Question Discussion
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