- A
Configure an AWS Lambda function in the pipeline that checks a DynamoDB table for approval status and pauses until approved.
Why wrong: Lambda cannot pause the pipeline; it would need to poll, which is less efficient than the built-in approval.
- B
Use an Amazon SNS topic to send a notification to QA, and have them manually trigger the deploy stage by clicking a link in the email.
Why wrong: SNS alone cannot approve or resume a pipeline; it only sends notifications.
- C
Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger a custom action that waits for an approval signal.
Why wrong: CloudWatch Events cannot implement manual approval; the built-in approval action is simpler.
- D
Add a manual approval stage in CodePipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure SNS to notify approvers.
CodePipeline supports manual approval actions that pause the pipeline and notify approvers via SNS.
DOP-C02 SDLC Automation Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 team uses AWS CodePipeline to deploy a containerized application to Amazon ECS. The pipeline uses a source stage from CodeCommit, a build stage that builds a Docker image and pushes it to Amazon ECR, and a deploy stage that updates an ECS service. The team wants to add a manual approval step before the deploy stage to allow QA to verify the image. What is the BEST way to implement this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Add a manual approval stage in CodePipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure SNS to notify approvers.
Option D is correct because CodePipeline natively supports manual approval actions that pause the pipeline at a specified stage and wait for an approver to manually approve or reject the transition. By adding a manual approval stage between the build and deploy stages, the pipeline will automatically halt after the build completes, and you can configure Amazon SNS to notify the QA team via email or other endpoints when their approval is required. This approach requires no custom infrastructure, integrates directly with the pipeline's state machine, and provides a built-in audit trail of approvals.
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.
- ✗
Configure an AWS Lambda function in the pipeline that checks a DynamoDB table for approval status and pauses until approved.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda cannot pause the pipeline; it would need to poll, which is less efficient than the built-in approval.
- ✗
Use an Amazon SNS topic to send a notification to QA, and have them manually trigger the deploy stage by clicking a link in the email.
Why it's wrong here
SNS alone cannot approve or resume a pipeline; it only sends notifications.
- ✗
Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger a custom action that waits for an approval signal.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Events cannot implement manual approval; the built-in approval action is simpler.
- ✓
Add a manual approval stage in CodePipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure SNS to notify approvers.
Why this is correct
CodePipeline supports manual approval actions that pause the pipeline and notify approvers via SNS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" 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 often over-engineer a solution by introducing custom polling, Lambda functions, or external triggers, when AWS CodePipeline already provides a fully managed, native manual approval action that handles pausing, notification, and resumption without any custom code.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CodePipeline manual approval actions use a built-in state machine that transitions the pipeline execution to a 'WaitForApproval' state, during which the pipeline does not proceed until an approver calls the PutApprovalResult API (via the AWS Console, CLI, or SDK). The SNS notification configured on the approval action sends a message with a direct link to the approval page in the AWS Console, allowing approvers to review details and submit their decision. This mechanism ensures that the pipeline execution remains paused without consuming compute resources, and all approval history is logged in CloudTrail for compliance.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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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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: Add a manual approval stage in CodePipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure SNS to notify approvers. — Option D is correct because CodePipeline natively supports manual approval actions that pause the pipeline at a specified stage and wait for an approver to manually approve or reject the transition. By adding a manual approval stage between the build and deploy stages, the pipeline will automatically halt after the build completes, and you can configure Amazon SNS to notify the QA team via email or other endpoints when their approval is required. This approach requires no custom infrastructure, integrates directly with the pipeline's state machine, and provides a built-in audit trail of approvals.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
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