Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodePipeline, and AWS CodeCommit. These three services form the core of a fully managed CI/CD pipeline for EKS because CodePipeline orchestrates the entire workflow, pulling source code from CodeCommit, triggering CodeBuild to build and test the Docker image, and then deploying that image to an Amazon EKS cluster. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to automate containerized application releases using native AWS services, often appearing as a multi-select question where common traps include choosing Jenkins or third-party tools instead of the managed AWS equivalents. A key memory tip is to think of the "three C's" for a native EKS pipeline: CodeCommit for code, CodeBuild for build, and CodePipeline for orchestration—leaving out CodeDeploy because EKS uses kubectl or a custom action for deployment.
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 designing a new CI/CD pipeline for a containerized application. They want to automatically build, test, and deploy the application to Amazon EKS. Which THREE AWS services should they use to implement this pipeline?
AWS CloudFormation
Why wrong: CloudFormation is for infrastructure as code, not CI/CD pipeline.
AWS CodePipeline
CodePipeline orchestrates the build, test, and deploy stages.
AWS CodeCommit
CodeCommit is a source control service for storing code.
AWS CodeBuild
CodeBuild can build and test container images.
AWS CodeDeploy
Why wrong: CodeDeploy does not natively support EKS; use Helm or kubectl.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS CodePipeline
AWS CodePipeline is correct because it orchestrates the CI/CD workflow by integrating with other AWS services to automate the build, test, and deployment stages. For a containerized application on Amazon EKS, CodePipeline can pull source code from CodeCommit, trigger CodeBuild to build and test the Docker image, and then deploy the image to an EKS cluster using a deployment action or a custom action. This provides a fully managed, continuous delivery pipeline that automates the entire release process.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS CloudFormation
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation is for infrastructure as code, not CI/CD pipeline.
AWS CodePipeline
Why this is correct
CodePipeline orchestrates the build, test, and deploy stages.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CodeCommit
Why this is correct
CodeCommit is a source control service for storing code.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CodeBuild
Why this is correct
CodeBuild can build and test container images.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CodeDeploy
Why it's wrong here
CodeDeploy does not natively support EKS; use Helm or kubectl.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may incorrectly select AWS CodeDeploy (Option E) because they assume it supports all deployment targets, including EKS, but CodeDeploy does not natively support Kubernetes clusters; instead, EKS deployments are typically handled via CodeBuild or a custom action in CodePipeline.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, CodePipeline uses a series of stages and actions that can be configured to run in parallel or sequentially, with each action invoking a specific AWS service (e.g., CodeBuild for build, CodeDeploy for EC2 deployments). For EKS deployments, a common pattern is to use CodeBuild to run kubectl commands or Helm to apply manifests to the cluster, often requiring the cluster's kubeconfig and IAM roles for authentication. A real-world scenario where this matters is when a team needs to enforce security policies by using IAM roles for service accounts (IRSA) to grant fine-grained permissions to the build process without storing long-lived credentials.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CodePipeline — AWS CodePipeline is correct because it orchestrates the CI/CD workflow by integrating with other AWS services to automate the build, test, and deployment stages. For a containerized application on Amazon EKS, CodePipeline can pull source code from CodeCommit, trigger CodeBuild to build and test the Docker image, and then deploy the image to an EKS cluster using a deployment action or a custom action. This provides a fully managed, continuous delivery pipeline that automates the entire release process.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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