The answer is to set up a pull request approval rule in AWS CodeCommit requiring two approvals. This is correct because CodeCommit’s approval rule templates allow you to enforce mandatory code review approvals before deployment in CI/CD by specifying the exact number of sign-offs needed—here, two senior developers—before a pull request can be merged into the production branch. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to integrate governance into the pipeline without relying on external tools; a common trap is choosing a manual approval step in CodePipeline, which only gates deployment after merge, not the code review itself. Remember, the key distinction is that approval rules block the merge, while pipeline approvals block the deploy—so think “merge gate, not deploy gate.” A useful mnemonic is “Two to merge, then deploy,” reinforcing that the review happens before the code ever reaches the pipeline.
DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 DevOps engineer is designing a CI/CD pipeline that deploys to production. The security team mandates that all code changes must be reviewed and signed off by two senior developers before deployment. How can this be enforced?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set up a pull request approval rule in CodeCommit requiring two approvals.
Option D is correct because CodeCommit's pull request approval rules allow you to require a specific number of approvals before a pull request can be merged. By configuring an approval rule template that requires two approvals from senior developers, you enforce the mandatory code review and sign-off before any change is merged into the production branch, which then triggers the CI/CD pipeline.
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.
✗
Use CloudWatch Events to trigger a manual approval step in CodePipeline.
Why it's wrong here
Does not enforce two-person review; approval step is separate.
✗
Restrict push access to the production branch to only the two senior developers.
Why it's wrong here
Does not enforce a review process; they could push directly.
✗
Use AWS Lambda to send a notification when a change is pushed.
Why it's wrong here
Notification does not enforce approval.
✓
Set up a pull request approval rule in CodeCommit requiring two approvals.
Why this is correct
Enforces code review and approval before merging.
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 confuse deployment-stage approvals (like CodePipeline manual approval) with pre-merge code review approvals, failing to recognize that the security requirement must be enforced at the source code repository level before the pipeline even starts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CodeCommit approval rules are evaluated at the time of pull request merge, and they can be configured to require a minimum number of approvals from specified IAM users or groups. The approval rule template can be applied to all repositories or specific branches, and the merge is blocked until the required approvals are met, ensuring compliance with the security mandate. This mechanism integrates with CodePipeline by using the 'Source' action's 'Branch' and 'Pull request' triggers to start the pipeline only after the merge is completed.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set up a pull request approval rule in CodeCommit requiring two approvals. — Option D is correct because CodeCommit's pull request approval rules allow you to require a specific number of approvals before a pull request can be merged. By configuring an approval rule template that requires two approvals from senior developers, you enforce the mandatory code review and sign-off before any change is merged into the production branch, which then triggers the CI/CD pipeline.
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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