- A
The CodeBuild project is configured with a VPC that restricts access to external dependency repositories.
Why wrong: Intermittent failures due to network issues would likely affect all builds, not just test failures.
- B
The CodePipeline has a timeout setting that causes the build to be terminated before tests complete.
Why wrong: Timeouts would consistently cause failures, not intermittent ones, and default timeouts are typically long enough.
- C
The CodePipeline is configured with a branch filter that only triggers on the 'main' branch.
Why wrong: Branch filters would prevent the pipeline from triggering at all on 'develop', not cause intermittent failures.
- D
The CodeBuild project has different environment variables or dependency versions compared to the local environment.
Differences in environment, such as dependency versions, environment variables, or operating system, can cause tests to fail in CodeBuild but pass locally.
Quick Answer
The answer is environment inconsistency, specifically that the CodeBuild project has different environment variables or dependency versions compared to the local environment. This is the most likely cause because CodeBuild runs in a managed, ephemeral container with predefined runtime versions, system libraries, and environment variables that often differ from a developer’s local machine, leading to test failures due to missing dependencies, platform-specific behavior, or mismatched library versions. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how environment parity affects CI/CD reliability and appears as a classic trap where developers blame the pipeline instead of their local setup. A common memory tip is to think of “CodeBuild as a clean room”—it has no local history, so any uncommitted config or hardcoded path will break. Remember the mnemonic “DEPS”: Dependencies, Environment variables, Platform specifics, and System packages must match to avoid the “works on my machine” fallacy.
DOP-C02 SDLC Automation 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. 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 development team uses AWS CodeCommit for source control and AWS CodePipeline for CI/CD. They have configured a CodeBuild project that triggers on pushes to the 'develop' branch. The build runs unit tests and packages the application. However, developers report that the pipeline fails intermittently with a 'BUILD_FAILED' status due to test failures, but the tests pass locally. What is the MOST likely cause of this discrepancy?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The CodeBuild project has different environment variables or dependency versions compared to the local environment.
Option D is correct because the most common cause of tests passing locally but failing in CodeBuild is environment inconsistency. CodeBuild runs in a managed environment with specific runtime versions, environment variables, and dependency caches that may differ from the developer's local machine. This discrepancy can lead to test failures due to different library versions, missing environment variables, or platform-specific behaviors.
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.
- ✗
The CodeBuild project is configured with a VPC that restricts access to external dependency repositories.
Why it's wrong here
Intermittent failures due to network issues would likely affect all builds, not just test failures.
- ✗
The CodePipeline has a timeout setting that causes the build to be terminated before tests complete.
Why it's wrong here
Timeouts would consistently cause failures, not intermittent ones, and default timeouts are typically long enough.
- ✗
The CodePipeline is configured with a branch filter that only triggers on the 'main' branch.
Why it's wrong here
Branch filters would prevent the pipeline from triggering at all on 'develop', not cause intermittent failures.
- ✓
The CodeBuild project has different environment variables or dependency versions compared to the local environment.
Why this is correct
Differences in environment, such as dependency versions, environment variables, or operating system, can cause tests to fail in CodeBuild but pass locally.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
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 focus on network or timeout issues (options A and B) instead of recognizing that environment inconsistency is the classic cause of 'works on my machine' failures in CI/CD pipelines.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CodeBuild uses a buildspec.yml to define the build environment, including runtime versions (e.g., Node.js 14 vs 16), environment variables, and dependency caching. If developers use different versions locally (e.g., via nvm or SDK managers), tests may pass due to API differences or bug fixes. CodeBuild also runs in a clean container each time, so cached node_modules or pip packages may differ from local caches, leading to dependency resolution differences.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
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: The CodeBuild project has different environment variables or dependency versions compared to the local environment. — Option D is correct because the most common cause of tests passing locally but failing in CodeBuild is environment inconsistency. CodeBuild runs in a managed environment with specific runtime versions, environment variables, and dependency caches that may differ from the developer's local machine. This discrepancy can lead to test failures due to different library versions, missing environment variables, or platform-specific behaviors.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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