- A
Use S3 event notifications to send the image to an Amazon SQS queue, then process it with a Lambda function.
Why wrong: Adding SQS introduces unnecessary latency and cost without benefit, as Lambda can be triggered directly.
- B
Use AWS Fargate to run a containerized image processing service triggered by S3 event notifications.
Why wrong: Fargate is more expensive and complex for simple, short-lived processing tasks.
- C
Configure S3 event notifications to invoke a Lambda function that processes the image in memory and writes the result to another S3 bucket.
Lambda can handle up to 10 GB of memory and 15-minute timeout, suitable for 500 MB images. Direct S3 trigger is simple and cost-effective.
- D
Use AWS Step Functions to orchestrate a Lambda function and an EC2 instance for processing.
Why wrong: Step Functions adds complexity and cost; a single Lambda function is sufficient.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to configure S3 event notifications to invoke a Lambda function that processes the image in memory and writes the result to another S3 bucket. This design works because Lambda can handle images up to 500 MB within its 15-minute timeout, and processing in memory avoids the latency and cost of intermediate storage or orchestration services. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of serverless image processing with Lambda and S3 as a direct, event-driven integration, often appearing as a trap where candidates overcomplicate the solution with Step Functions or SQS. The key trap is assuming that large files require Fargate or additional queuing, but Lambda’s 10 GB memory limit and 15-minute max execution make it fully capable for this workload. Memory tip: “Lambda loves large files—just keep it direct and in memory.”
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
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 serverless application using AWS Lambda to process high-resolution images uploaded to Amazon S3. Each image can be up to 500 MB. The processing must complete within 5 minutes. What is the MOST cost-effective and scalable design to meet these requirements?
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
Configure S3 event notifications to invoke a Lambda function that processes the image in memory and writes the result to another S3 bucket.
Option A is correct because Lambda can directly process images up to 500 MB with a maximum execution time of 15 minutes, and S3 event notifications trigger Lambda directly. Option B is wrong because Fargate adds complexity and cost for simple processing. Option C is wrong because SQS adds latency and cost without benefit. Option D is wrong because Step Functions adds orchestration overhead.
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.
- ✗
Use S3 event notifications to send the image to an Amazon SQS queue, then process it with a Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Adding SQS introduces unnecessary latency and cost without benefit, as Lambda can be triggered directly.
- ✗
Use AWS Fargate to run a containerized image processing service triggered by S3 event notifications.
Why it's wrong here
Fargate is more expensive and complex for simple, short-lived processing tasks.
- ✓
Configure S3 event notifications to invoke a Lambda function that processes the image in memory and writes the result to another S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
Lambda can handle up to 10 GB of memory and 15-minute timeout, suitable for 500 MB images. Direct S3 trigger is simple and cost-effective.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Step Functions to orchestrate a Lambda function and an EC2 instance for processing.
Why it's wrong here
Step Functions adds complexity and cost; a single Lambda function is sufficient.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure S3 event notifications to invoke a Lambda function that processes the image in memory and writes the result to another S3 bucket. — Option A is correct because Lambda can directly process images up to 500 MB with a maximum execution time of 15 minutes, and S3 event notifications trigger Lambda directly. Option B is wrong because Fargate adds complexity and cost for simple processing. Option C is wrong because SQS adds latency and cost without benefit. Option D is wrong because Step Functions adds orchestration overhead.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on SAP-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is designing a new application that will process images uploaded by users. The application must automatically resize images and store them in Amazon S3. The solution should be serverless and event-driven. Which THREE AWS services should be used together? (Choose three.)
easy- ✓ A.Amazon S3
- ✓ B.AWS Lambda
- C.Amazon EC2
- D.Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS)
- ✓ E.Amazon S3 Event Notification
Why A: Options A, B, and E are correct. Amazon S3 can trigger a Lambda function on object uploads. Lambda can process the image and store the result back in S3. Option C is wrong because EC2 is not serverless. Option D is wrong because SQS is not needed for this event-driven flow.
Variation 2. A company is designing a serverless application that processes images uploaded to an S3 bucket. The processing must be asynchronous and can take up to 15 minutes per image. Which AWS service should be used to trigger the processing?
easy- ✓ A.Configure S3 Event Notifications to send an event to an Amazon SQS queue, which is polled by an AWS Lambda function
- B.Configure S3 Event Notifications to publish a message to an Amazon SNS topic, which triggers an AWS Lambda function
- C.Configure S3 Event Notifications to invoke an AWS Lambda function synchronously
- D.Use Amazon EventBridge to capture S3 events and trigger an AWS Step Functions workflow
Why A: S3 Event Notifications can trigger an SQS queue, which then invokes a Lambda function asynchronously. Option A (Lambda synchronous invocation) would block and time out. Option B (SNS) is for pub/sub messaging but not ideal for long-running tasks. Option D (Step Functions) can orchestrate but is not the direct trigger for S3 events.
Variation 3. A company is designing a serverless application using AWS Lambda to process incoming files from Amazon S3. Each file is less than 1 MB and processing must complete within 10 seconds. The application must handle bursts of up to 1,000 concurrent invocations. Which configuration will provide the MOST cost-effective solution?
medium- A.Use provisioned concurrency for 1,000 concurrent executions with 128 MB memory.
- B.Place the Lambda function in a VPC with 1,024 MB memory for faster processing.
- C.Set reserved concurrency to 1,000 and function memory to 256 MB.
- ✓ D.Set function memory to 128 MB and leave concurrency at the account default of 1,000.
Why D: Lambda concurrency limit of 1,000 and function memory of 128 MB is sufficient for small files and cost-effective. Option A (reserved concurrency) may waste resources. Option C (provisioned concurrency) incurs extra cost. Option D (VPC) adds unnecessary network cost.
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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