- A
Configure the SQS DLQ with a redrive policy that allows messages to be sent back to the source queue after 3 retries.
Why wrong: Option A is incorrect because the redrive policy is configured on the source queue, not on the DLQ.
- B
Configure the SQS queue with a visibility timeout of 6 minutes and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3, pointing to a DLQ.
Option B is correct because it sets an appropriate visibility timeout (6 minutes) and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3 pointing to a DLQ, ensuring retries and eventual dead-letter handling.
- C
Configure the SQS queue with a visibility timeout of 30 seconds and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3, pointing to a DLQ.
Why wrong: Option C is incorrect because a 30-second visibility timeout is too short for typical Lambda processing; the visibility timeout should be at least 6 minutes to allow the Lambda function time to process and delete or retry the message.
- D
Configure Lambda with a reserved concurrency of 1 and set the SQS queue's redrive policy to maxReceiveCount of 3.
Why wrong: Option D is incorrect because reserved concurrency is unrelated to retry behavior and would limit the Lambda function's ability to scale.
SQS DLQ Configuration for Lambda
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 microservices application on AWS. The application consists of several services that need to communicate asynchronously. One service generates orders and sends them to a processing service. The order volume can vary significantly, and the processing service must scale independently. The company wants to use a managed service to decouple the services and ensure that messages are not lost. The processing service is written in Python and runs on AWS Lambda. The solutions architect needs to design the message delivery mechanism. The architect decides to use Amazon SQS. However, the Lambda function sometimes fails to process a message due to a transient error, and the message should be retried. After a maximum of three retries, the message should be moved to a dead-letter queue for analysis. Which configuration should the architect use?
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 SQS queue with a visibility timeout of 6 minutes and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3, pointing to a DLQ.
Amazon SQS supports a redrive policy on the source queue with a maxReceiveCount that determines how many times a message can be received (i.e., retried) before being moved to a dead-letter queue (DLQ). When a Lambda function processes messages from SQS, the visibility timeout acts as the retry interval: if the function fails and the message becomes visible again, it is retried. Setting maxReceiveCount to 3 and specifying a DLQ ARN meets the requirement of three retries and then moving to the DLQ. Option B is correct. Option A is incorrect because the redrive policy is configured on the source queue, not on the DLQ. The DLQ itself does not have a redrive policy to send messages back; rather, the source queue sends messages to the DLQ when the maxReceiveCount is exceeded. Also, visibility timeout is not relevant to option A. Option C is incorrect because a 30-second visibility timeout is too short; combined with three retries, it would consume retries too quickly without allowing enough time for the Lambda function to process and potentially fail, leading to premature movement to the DLQ. A 6-minute timeout (as in option B) provides sufficient time for transient errors to be resolved. Option D is incorrect because while setting the redrive policy on the SQS queue is correct, setting Lambda reserved concurrency to 1 unnecessarily throttles the function and is not required for the retry/DLQ behavior. The redrive policy alone handles the three retries and DLQ movement.
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.
- ✗
Configure the SQS DLQ with a redrive policy that allows messages to be sent back to the source queue after 3 retries.
Why it's wrong here
Option A is incorrect because the redrive policy is configured on the source queue, not on the DLQ.
- ✓
Configure the SQS queue with a visibility timeout of 6 minutes and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3, pointing to a DLQ.
Why this is correct
Option B is correct because it sets an appropriate visibility timeout (6 minutes) and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3 pointing to a DLQ, ensuring retries and eventual dead-letter handling.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure the SQS queue with a visibility timeout of 30 seconds and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3, pointing to a DLQ.
Why it's wrong here
Option C is incorrect because a 30-second visibility timeout is too short for typical Lambda processing; the visibility timeout should be at least 6 minutes to allow the Lambda function time to process and delete or retry the message.
- ✗
Configure Lambda with a reserved concurrency of 1 and set the SQS queue's redrive policy to maxReceiveCount of 3.
Why it's wrong here
Option D is incorrect because reserved concurrency is unrelated to retry behavior and would limit the Lambda function's ability to scale.
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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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 SQS queue with a visibility timeout of 6 minutes and a redrive policy with maxReceiveCount of 3, pointing to a DLQ. — Amazon SQS supports a redrive policy on the source queue with a maxReceiveCount that determines how many times a message can be received (i.e., retried) before being moved to a dead-letter queue (DLQ). When a Lambda function processes messages from SQS, the visibility timeout acts as the retry interval: if the function fails and the message becomes visible again, it is retried. Setting maxReceiveCount to 3 and specifying a DLQ ARN meets the requirement of three retries and then moving to the DLQ. Option B is correct. Option A is incorrect because the redrive policy is configured on the source queue, not on the DLQ. The DLQ itself does not have a redrive policy to send messages back; rather, the source queue sends messages to the DLQ when the maxReceiveCount is exceeded. Also, visibility timeout is not relevant to option A. Option C is incorrect because a 30-second visibility timeout is too short; combined with three retries, it would consume retries too quickly without allowing enough time for the Lambda function to process and potentially fail, leading to premature movement to the DLQ. A 6-minute timeout (as in option B) provides sufficient time for transient errors to be resolved. Option D is incorrect because while setting the redrive policy on the SQS queue is correct, setting Lambda reserved concurrency to 1 unnecessarily throttles the function and is not required for the retry/DLQ behavior. The redrive policy alone handles the three retries and DLQ movement.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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