- A
Set the batch size to 1
Why wrong: Batch size does not affect ordering; Kinesis already provides per-shard ordering.
- B
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency
Why wrong: More concurrency can cause out-of-order processing.
- C
Set the parallelization factor to 1
This ensures a single Lambda instance processes each shard, maintaining order.
- D
Configure a dead-letter queue for failed records
Why wrong: DLQ handles failures but does not guarantee order.
- E
Enable S3 bucket versioning to track duplicates
Versioning helps detect duplicates; combined with idempotent writes, ensures exactly-once.
Question 1,486 of 1,755
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 using Amazon Kinesis Data Streams with a Lambda consumer. The Lambda function writes results to an S3 bucket. The team wants to ensure that each record is processed exactly once and in order. Which TWO configurations should the team implement? (Choose 2.)
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 parallelization factor to 1
Option C is correct because setting the parallelization factor to 1 ensures that each shard of the Kinesis Data Stream is processed by only one Lambda instance at a time, preserving the order of records within that shard. Option E is correct because enabling S3 bucket versioning helps track duplicates: if the same record is written multiple times, S3 versioning creates multiple versions, allowing the system to detect and handle duplicates, contributing to exactly-once processing semantics.
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.
- ✗
Set the batch size to 1
Why it's wrong here
Batch size does not affect ordering; Kinesis already provides per-shard ordering.
- ✗
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency
Why it's wrong here
More concurrency can cause out-of-order processing.
- ✓
Set the parallelization factor to 1
Why this is correct
This ensures a single Lambda instance processes each shard, maintaining order.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure a dead-letter queue for failed records
Why it's wrong here
DLQ handles failures but does not guarantee order.
- ✓
Enable S3 bucket versioning to track duplicates
Why this is correct
Versioning helps detect duplicates; combined with idempotent writes, ensures exactly-once.
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 batch size with concurrency control, mistakenly believing that setting batch size to 1 alone is sufficient for ordered processing, while ignoring the parallelization factor that governs how many concurrent invocations can process records from the same shard. Additionally, versioning is key for duplicate detection, not just batch size adjustments.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Kinesis Data Streams shards are the unit of parallelism; each shard maintains its own sequence of records. By setting the parallelization factor to 1, you restrict the Lambda function to process each shard with a single concurrent invocation, ensuring that records from the same shard are processed in the exact order they were ingested. In a real-world scenario, if you have multiple shards and set the parallelization factor higher than 1, records from different shards may interleave, but within a shard, order is preserved only when the parallelization factor is 1.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
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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 parallelization factor to 1 — Option C is correct because setting the parallelization factor to 1 ensures that each shard of the Kinesis Data Stream is processed by only one Lambda instance at a time, preserving the order of records within that shard. Option E is correct because enabling S3 bucket versioning helps track duplicates: if the same record is written multiple times, S3 versioning creates multiple versions, allowing the system to detect and handle duplicates, contributing to exactly-once processing semantics.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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