Quick Answer
The answer is an Amazon SNS topic, an IAM role for CodePipeline, and the approval action itself added to the pipeline stage. These three resources work together because the manual approval step in CodePipeline requires an SNS topic to send notification emails to approvers, an IAM role that grants CodePipeline permission to publish to that SNS topic, and the approval action definition within the pipeline structure to pause execution until manual sign-off is received. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how CodePipeline integrates with SNS for human-in-the-loop approvals, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly select a Lambda function or CloudWatch Events rule. A common trap is assuming you need a Lambda to process the approval, but the approval action is a native pipeline feature that only needs the SNS topic and the correct IAM permissions. Memory tip: think "SNS for notification, IAM for permission, action for pause" — no Lambda or CloudWatch required.
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing 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 uses AWS CodeCommit to store source code and CodePipeline for CI/CD. The pipeline includes a build stage using CodeBuild and a deploy stage to Elastic Beanstalk. The team wants to add a manual approval step before deployment to production. Which THREE resources are needed? (Choose three.)
An approval action in the CodePipeline stage.
Required for manual approval.
A CloudWatch Events rule to trigger the approval action.
Why wrong: Not needed.
An IAM role for CodePipeline to publish to the SNS topic.
Permissions needed.
An AWS Lambda function to process approval requests.
Why wrong: Not required.
An Amazon SNS topic to send approval notifications.
Notifies approvers.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
An approval action in the CodePipeline stage.
Options A, B, and C are correct. The approval action is added to the pipeline, requires an SNS topic for notifications, and an IAM role for the pipeline to publish to SNS. Option D is wrong because a Lambda function is not required for approval. Option E is wrong because a CloudWatch Events rule is not needed.
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.
An approval action in the CodePipeline stage.
Why this is correct
Required for manual approval.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A CloudWatch Events rule to trigger the approval action.
Why it's wrong here
Not needed.
An IAM role for CodePipeline to publish to the SNS topic.
Why this is correct
Permissions needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
An AWS Lambda function to process approval requests.
Why it's wrong here
Not required.
An Amazon SNS topic to send approval notifications.
Why this is correct
Notifies approvers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 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.
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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: An approval action in the CodePipeline stage. — Options A, B, and C are correct. The approval action is added to the pipeline, requires an SNS topic for notifications, and an IAM role for the pipeline to publish to SNS. Option D is wrong because a Lambda function is not required for approval. Option E is wrong because a CloudWatch Events rule is not needed.
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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