- 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.
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 C is correct because Lambda can directly process images up to 500 MB within its 15-minute timeout (5 minutes is well within limits), and processing in memory avoids the latency and cost of intermediate storage or compute. S3 event notifications invoke Lambda synchronously, making this the most cost-effective and scalable design for serverless image processing.
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
The trap here is that candidates assume Lambda cannot handle large files or long-running tasks, leading them to choose more complex and costly options like SQS, Fargate, or EC2, when in fact Lambda's 15-minute timeout and S3 GetObject support easily accommodate 500 MB images processed within 5 minutes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Lambda supports a maximum execution timeout of 15 minutes and a maximum payload size of 6 MB for synchronous invocation, but S3 event notifications pass only metadata (bucket, key, etc.), not the image itself; the Lambda function must use the S3 GetObject API to retrieve the image, which can handle up to 5 GB objects. Processing in memory means the function reads the image into its allocated memory (up to 10 GB), processes it, and writes the result directly to another S3 bucket, avoiding ephemeral storage or additional services.
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design for New Solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SAP-C02 questions
1,746 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SAP-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SAP-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity.
Design for New Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Design for New Solutions.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions.
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization.
SAA-C03 VPC practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC.
SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 S3 lifecycle policy questions.
SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 RDS Multi-AZ questions.
SAA-C03 IAM policy practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 IAM policy.
SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 Route 53 failover questions.
SAA-C03 CloudFront practice questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 CloudFront.
SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 NAT gateway questions.
SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions
Practise SAP-C02 questions linked to SAA-C03 VPC endpoint questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SAP-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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 C is correct because Lambda can directly process images up to 500 MB within its 15-minute timeout (5 minutes is well within limits), and processing in memory avoids the latency and cost of intermediate storage or compute. S3 event notifications invoke Lambda synchronously, making this the most cost-effective and scalable design for serverless image processing.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 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.
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 →
Keep practising
More SAP-C02 practice questions
- A company wants to automate the migration of on-premises servers to AWS. The migration plan includes discovery, assessme…
- A company is using AWS Organizations with hundreds of accounts. The central IT team needs to deploy a common set of AWS…
- A multinational company operates a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. The security team needs to enf…
- A company has a multi-account AWS environment with a centralized logging account. The security team needs to analyze VPC…
- A company has multiple AWS accounts and wants to centralize logging of all API calls. Which TWO services should be used…
- Match each AWS compute service to its use case.
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.