Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon SQS, which acts as a reliable buffer to decouple request ingestion from processing during traffic spikes. When a serverless application using Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB faces sudden surges, SQS queues incoming requests and holds them durably until Lambda can scale to consume them at its own pace, preventing any request loss or throttling. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of decoupling patterns and asynchronous integration—a core principle for building resilient, scalable architectures. A common trap is choosing API Gateway throttling or Lambda reserved concurrency, but those drop or reject excess requests rather than buffering them. The key insight is that SQS provides a safety valve: it absorbs the spike and smooths out the load, ensuring zero data loss even when downstream services are overwhelmed. Memory tip: think of SQS as a "shock absorber" for traffic—it queues first, processes later, so no request gets left behind.
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 serverless application using AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon DynamoDB. The application experiences sudden spikes in traffic. Which AWS service should be used to handle the traffic spikes without losing any requests?
Amazon SNS
Why wrong: SNS is pub/sub, it does not buffer.
AWS Step Functions
Why wrong: Step Functions orchestrate workflows, not buffer requests.
Amazon SQS
SQS decouples the API from Lambda and buffers requests.
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Why wrong: Kinesis is for real-time streaming, not request buffering.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon SQS
Amazon SQS can buffer requests during spikes, allowing Lambda to process them at its own pace without dropping any.
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.
Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
SNS is pub/sub, it does not buffer.
AWS Step Functions
Why it's wrong here
Step Functions orchestrate workflows, not buffer requests.
Amazon SQS
Why this is correct
SQS decouples the API from Lambda and buffers requests.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis is for real-time streaming, not request buffering.
Common exam traps
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
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.
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
Identify which SAP-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.
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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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: Amazon SQS — Amazon SQS can buffer requests during spikes, allowing Lambda to process them at its own pace without dropping any.
Identify which SAP-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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.
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