- A
Use the 'describe-stack-events' AWS CLI command to view the events.
Option A is correct because the 'describe-stack-events' command retrieves all stack events, including the failed resource event with the 'ResourceStatusReason' field that explains the failure.
- B
Review the CloudWatch Logs log group for the stack to find detailed error logs.
Why wrong: Option B is incorrect because CloudFormation does not automatically create a CloudWatch Logs log group for stack errors. Resource-specific logs are only available if the resource itself writes to CloudWatch, which may not be the case during a creation failure.
- C
Check the 'ResourceStatusReason' field of the failed resource in the stack events.
Option C is correct because the 'ResourceStatusReason' field in the stack events provides the specific error message from CloudFormation for the failed resource, which is key to troubleshooting.
- D
Run 'delete-stack' to remove the failed stack and start over.
Why wrong: Option D is incorrect because deleting the stack would destroy the event history and make troubleshooting impossible. It is better to investigate the failure before considering deletion.
- E
Use the 'describe-stacks' AWS CLI command to get the stack outputs.
Why wrong: Option E is incorrect because 'describe-stacks' only returns stack outputs and overall status, not detailed failure reasons for individual resources.
DOP-C02 CloudFormation stack events Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: cloudFormation stack events. 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 CloudFormation to deploy a multi-tier application. The stack creation fails with a 'CREATE_FAILED' error for a resource. The engineer wants to troubleshoot the issue. Which THREE steps should the engineer take? (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 the 'describe-stack-events' AWS CLI command to view the events.
Option A is correct because the 'describe-stack-events' AWS CLI command retrieves all stack events, including the specific event for the failed resource. This event contains the 'ResourceStatusReason' field, which provides the detailed error message from CloudFormation explaining why the resource creation failed. Option C is correct because checking the 'ResourceStatusReason' field in the stack events directly reveals the underlying error. Option B is incorrect because CloudFormation does not automatically create a CloudWatch Logs log group for stack errors; resource-specific logs are only available if the resource itself writes to CloudWatch. During a stack creation failure, there may be no such logs to review. Option D is incorrect because deleting the stack would lose the event history and prevent effective troubleshooting. Option E is incorrect because 'describe-stacks' only returns stack outputs and status, not failure details.
Key principle: CloudFormation stack events
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 the 'describe-stack-events' AWS CLI command to view the events.
Why this is correct
Option A is correct because the 'describe-stack-events' command retrieves all stack events, including the failed resource event with the 'ResourceStatusReason' field that explains the failure.
Related concept
CloudFormation stack events
- ✗
Review the CloudWatch Logs log group for the stack to find detailed error logs.
Why it's wrong here
Option B is incorrect because CloudFormation does not automatically create a CloudWatch Logs log group for stack errors. Resource-specific logs are only available if the resource itself writes to CloudWatch, which may not be the case during a creation failure.
- ✓
Check the 'ResourceStatusReason' field of the failed resource in the stack events.
Why this is correct
Option C is correct because the 'ResourceStatusReason' field in the stack events provides the specific error message from CloudFormation for the failed resource, which is key to troubleshooting.
Related concept
CloudFormation stack events
- ✗
Run 'delete-stack' to remove the failed stack and start over.
Why it's wrong here
Option D is incorrect because deleting the stack would destroy the event history and make troubleshooting impossible. It is better to investigate the failure before considering deletion.
- ✗
Use the 'describe-stacks' AWS CLI command to get the stack outputs.
Why it's wrong here
Option E is incorrect because 'describe-stacks' only returns stack outputs and overall status, not detailed failure reasons for individual resources.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The main trap is that candidates may incorrectly think that CloudFormation automatically creates a CloudWatch Logs log group for all stack errors (Option B), or prematurely delete the stack (Option D) instead of investigating the failure using stack events and the ResourceStatusReason field.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Option E is incorrect because 'describe-stacks' only returns stack outputs and overall status, not detailed failure reasons for individual resources.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudFormation records each resource operation as a stack event with a 'ResourceStatus' (e.g., CREATE_FAILED) and a 'ResourceStatusReason' string that often includes the exact API error returned by the underlying AWS service (e.g., 'The security group does not exist' or 'Insufficient IAM permissions'). The 'describe-stack-events' command returns these events in reverse chronological order, so the engineer can filter for the first CREATE_FAILED event to pinpoint the root cause. In real-world scenarios, the error message may reference a missing parameter, a quota limit, or a dependency that was not yet created, making this step essential before any remediation.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CloudFormation stack events
- ResourceStatusReason
- describe-stack-events CLI command
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
CloudFormation stack events
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.
Review cloudFormation stack events, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
SDLC Automation — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
SDLC Automation practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DOP-C02 questions
1,750 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DOP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DOP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Configuration Management and IaC practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Configuration Management and IaC.
Resilient Cloud Solutions practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Resilient Cloud Solutions.
Monitoring and Logging practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Monitoring and Logging.
Incident and Event Response practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Incident and Event Response.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
SDLC Automation practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to SDLC Automation.
DOP-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 fundamentals.
DOP-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 scenario.
DOP-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DOP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — CloudFormation stack events.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use the 'describe-stack-events' AWS CLI command to view the events. — Option A is correct because the 'describe-stack-events' AWS CLI command retrieves all stack events, including the specific event for the failed resource. This event contains the 'ResourceStatusReason' field, which provides the detailed error message from CloudFormation explaining why the resource creation failed. Option C is correct because checking the 'ResourceStatusReason' field in the stack events directly reveals the underlying error. Option B is incorrect because CloudFormation does not automatically create a CloudWatch Logs log group for stack errors; resource-specific logs are only available if the resource itself writes to CloudWatch. During a stack creation failure, there may be no such logs to review. Option D is incorrect because deleting the stack would lose the event history and prevent effective troubleshooting. Option E is incorrect because 'describe-stacks' only returns stack outputs and status, not failure details.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review cloudFormation stack events, then practise related DOP-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CloudFormation stack events
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More DOP-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS CodePipeline with a multi-branch strategy. A new feature branch triggers a pipeline that runs unit te…
- A development team uses AWS CodeBuild to compile a Java application and run unit tests. The build takes 30 minutes, but…
- A company uses AWS CodePipeline with multiple stages: Source (Amazon S3), Build (AWS CodeBuild), and Deploy (AWS CodeDep…
- A company uses AWS CodeCommit for source control. Developers frequently push large binary files (e.g., compiled JARs) to…
- A company runs a Stateful application on EC2 that requires sticky sessions. They use an ALB with duration-based stickine…
- An organization uses AWS CodePipeline to orchestrate deployments to multiple environments (dev, test, prod). Each enviro…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.