- A
The IAM role does not have permission to list secrets
Why wrong: GetSecretValue is sufficient to retrieve secret values; ListSecrets is not required.
- B
The application is using the wrong secret ID
Why wrong: If the secret ID was wrong, it would have failed before rotation as well.
- C
The secret rotation Lambda function is failing
Why wrong: If rotation failed, the old password would still work; the problem is that the new password is not being used.
- D
The application is caching the secret and not refreshing it after rotation
Secrets Manager SDK caches credentials by default; the application may need to force refresh or wait for cache expiry.
Question 56 of 1,750
Secrets Manager Rotation Caching Issue
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 company uses AWS Secrets Manager to store database credentials for a legacy application running on an on-premises server. The application retrieves the secret via the AWS SDK. Recently, the database password was rotated in Secrets Manager, but the application continued to use the old password and failed to connect. The application code is correct and uses the latest SDK. The IAM role attached to the server has the secretsmanager:GetSecretValue permission. What is the MOST likely cause?
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 application is caching the secret and not refreshing it after rotation
The most likely cause is that the application is caching the secret and not refreshing it after rotation. By default, the AWS SDK for Secrets Manager caches secrets in memory for a configurable TTL (default 1 hour). Even though the secret is rotated in Secrets Manager, the application will continue to use the cached old secret until the cache expires or is explicitly refreshed. Option A is incorrect because the IAM role has the required permission (secretsmanager:GetSecretValue) and listing secrets is not necessary for retrieval. Option B is unlikely because the application would fail immediately if using the wrong secret ID, not only after rotation. Option C is about the rotation Lambda function, but the application's failure to connect after rotation does not indicate the Lambda function itself is failing; rotation may have succeeded but the application is not fetching the new version.
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 IAM role does not have permission to list secrets
Why it's wrong here
GetSecretValue is sufficient to retrieve secret values; ListSecrets is not required.
- ✗
The application is using the wrong secret ID
Why it's wrong here
If the secret ID was wrong, it would have failed before rotation as well.
- ✗
The secret rotation Lambda function is failing
Why it's wrong here
If rotation failed, the old password would still work; the problem is that the new password is not being used.
- ✓
The application is caching the secret and not refreshing it after rotation
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager SDK caches credentials by default; the application may need to force refresh or wait for cache expiry.
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
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
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: The application is caching the secret and not refreshing it after rotation — The most likely cause is that the application is caching the secret and not refreshing it after rotation. By default, the AWS SDK for Secrets Manager caches secrets in memory for a configurable TTL (default 1 hour). Even though the secret is rotated in Secrets Manager, the application will continue to use the cached old secret until the cache expires or is explicitly refreshed. Option A is incorrect because the IAM role has the required permission (secretsmanager:GetSecretValue) and listing secrets is not necessary for retrieval. Option B is unlikely because the application would fail immediately if using the wrong secret ID, not only after rotation. Option C is about the rotation Lambda function, but the application's failure to connect after rotation does not indicate the Lambda function itself is failing; rotation may have succeeded but the application is not fetching the new version.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on DOP-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company uses AWS Secrets Manager to store database credentials. The security team wants to automatically rotate secrets every 30 days. The database is an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL instance. The team has configured automatic rotation with a Lambda function that updates the password in RDS and Secrets Manager. However, after the first rotation, the application starts getting database connection errors. The application uses a connection string with the secret ARN and retrieves the secret from Secrets Manager at startup using the AWS SDK. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the connection errors?
easy- A.The Lambda function is not configured with a sufficient timeout and is being throttled.
- ✓ B.The application caches the secret at startup and does not refresh it after rotation.
- C.The Lambda function does not have permission to update the secret in Secrets Manager.
- D.The RDS instance has automatic password rotation enabled, which conflicts with Secrets Manager rotation.
Why B: Option B is correct because if the application caches the secret at startup, it will not retrieve the updated password after rotation, causing connection errors. Option A is incorrect because a Lambda timeout or throttling would prevent the rotation from completing, but the rotation succeeded (new password set), so the issue is on the application side. Option C is incorrect because if the Lambda lacked permissions to update the secret, the rotation would have failed entirely, not just after the first rotation. Option D is incorrect because Amazon RDS does not have built-in automatic password rotation; Secrets Manager manages the rotation, so there is no conflict.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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