- A
Assign a public IP to the Lambda function and route through an Internet Gateway.
Why wrong: Public IP exposure is unnecessary and insecure.
- B
Configure the Lambda function to access the VPC and use a VPC endpoint for S3.
VPC access enables private connectivity to VPC resources; VPC endpoint keeps S3 traffic private.
- C
Use Lambda@Edge to process data at the edge location.
Why wrong: Lambda@Edge is for CloudFront events, not for VPC access.
- D
Place the Lambda function in a public subnet and use a NAT Gateway.
Why wrong: Public subnet and NAT Gateway are less secure and add complexity.
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 building a serverless data processing pipeline. Data is uploaded to an S3 bucket, which triggers a Lambda function to transform the data and store the result in another S3 bucket. The Lambda function needs to access a VPC-hosted database for enrichment. What is the MOST secure way to allow the Lambda function to access the VPC resources?
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 the Lambda function to access the VPC and use a VPC endpoint for S3.
Option B is correct because it allows the Lambda function to be attached to a VPC, enabling it to access the VPC-hosted database securely over private IP addresses. Additionally, using a VPC endpoint for S3 ensures that data transfer between Lambda and the S3 buckets remains within the AWS network, avoiding public internet exposure and reducing data transfer costs.
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.
- ✗
Assign a public IP to the Lambda function and route through an Internet Gateway.
Why it's wrong here
Public IP exposure is unnecessary and insecure.
- ✓
Configure the Lambda function to access the VPC and use a VPC endpoint for S3.
Why this is correct
VPC access enables private connectivity to VPC resources; VPC endpoint keeps S3 traffic private.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Lambda@Edge to process data at the edge location.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda@Edge is for CloudFront events, not for VPC access.
- ✗
Place the Lambda function in a public subnet and use a NAT Gateway.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think Lambda functions can be assigned public IPs or placed in public subnets like EC2 instances, but Lambda's VPC integration uses ENIs and requires private subnets, and the most secure way to access S3 from within a VPC is via a VPC endpoint, not a NAT Gateway.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a Lambda function is configured to access a VPC, AWS creates an Elastic Network Interface (ENI) in the specified subnets, allowing the function to communicate with resources inside the VPC. A VPC endpoint for S3 uses AWS PrivateLink to provide private connectivity to S3 without traversing the internet, and it supports IAM policies for fine-grained access control, ensuring that the Lambda function can securely read from and write to the S3 buckets.
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.
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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 the Lambda function to access the VPC and use a VPC endpoint for S3. — Option B is correct because it allows the Lambda function to be attached to a VPC, enabling it to access the VPC-hosted database securely over private IP addresses. Additionally, using a VPC endpoint for S3 ensures that data transfer between Lambda and the S3 buckets remains within the AWS network, avoiding public internet exposure and reducing data transfer costs.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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