- A
Increase the data retention period of the Kinesis stream to 7 days to allow reprocessing
Why wrong: Longer retention does not prevent duplicates; it allows reprocessing but doesn't guarantee exactly-once.
- B
Set the Lambda function's batch window to a small value (e.g., 1 second) to reduce processing latency
Small batch window ensures timely processing.
- C
Enable the 'iterator age' metric in Amazon CloudWatch to monitor consumer lag
Monitoring lag helps detect if the consumer is falling behind.
- D
Use a single shard for the Kinesis stream to ensure order and avoid parallel processing issues
Why wrong: Single shard limits throughput and does not prevent duplicates.
- E
Configure the Lambda function to disable retries on failure to avoid duplicate processing
Why wrong: Disabling retries may cause data loss.
MLS-C01 Data Engineering Practice Question
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data engineering. 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 company is building a data pipeline that uses Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to ingest real-time events. The pipeline then uses AWS Lambda to process the events and store results in Amazon DynamoDB. The company wants to ensure that the Lambda function can process all events without data loss and without duplicating processing. Which TWO configuration steps should the company take?
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
Set the Lambda function's batch window to a small value (e.g., 1 second) to reduce processing latency
Options A and C are correct. Setting the Lambda batch window to a small value ensures low latency, and enabling the iterator age metric helps monitor lag. Option B is wrong because increasing the retention period does not prevent duplication. Option D is wrong because using a single shard limits throughput. Option E is wrong because disabling retries could cause data loss.
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.
- ✗
Increase the data retention period of the Kinesis stream to 7 days to allow reprocessing
Why it's wrong here
Longer retention does not prevent duplicates; it allows reprocessing but doesn't guarantee exactly-once.
- ✓
Set the Lambda function's batch window to a small value (e.g., 1 second) to reduce processing latency
Why this is correct
Small batch window ensures timely processing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable the 'iterator age' metric in Amazon CloudWatch to monitor consumer lag
Why this is correct
Monitoring lag helps detect if the consumer is falling behind.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a single shard for the Kinesis stream to ensure order and avoid parallel processing issues
Why it's wrong here
Single shard limits throughput and does not prevent duplicates.
- ✗
Configure the Lambda function to disable retries on failure to avoid duplicate processing
Why it's wrong here
Disabling retries may cause data loss.
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 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 MLS-C01 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 MLS-C01 question test?
Data Engineering — This question tests Data Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the Lambda function's batch window to a small value (e.g., 1 second) to reduce processing latency — Options A and C are correct. Setting the Lambda batch window to a small value ensures low latency, and enabling the iterator age metric helps monitor lag. Option B is wrong because increasing the retention period does not prevent duplication. Option D is wrong because using a single shard limits throughput. Option E is wrong because disabling retries could cause data loss.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which MLS-C01 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.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This MLS-C01 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 MLS-C01 exam.
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