- A
Use a standard SQS queue and configure a Lambda function with a higher concurrency limit.
Why wrong: Standard queues do not guarantee ordering.
- B
Use an SQS FIFO queue with provisioned concurrency on the Lambda function.
Why wrong: Provisioned concurrency is for Lambda, but for SQS-triggered functions, reserved concurrency is appropriate.
- C
Increase the batch size in the Lambda event source mapping and use a standard queue.
Why wrong: Larger batch size does not prevent throttling and does not guarantee order.
- D
Use a FIFO SQS queue and configure the Lambda function with reserved concurrency.
FIFO queues preserve order. Reserved concurrency prevents throttling by ensuring enough capacity.
Question 1,394 of 1,746
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 serverless application using AWS Lambda functions that process messages from an Amazon SQS queue. The Lambda function sometimes experiences throttling, causing messages to be sent to the dead-letter queue (DLQ). The company wants to minimize throttling and ensure that messages are processed in order. What should the solutions architect do?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
✓
Use a FIFO SQS queue and configure the Lambda function with reserved concurrency.
Option D is correct because using an SQS FIFO queue guarantees strict message ordering, and reserved concurrency on the Lambda function prevents throttling by allocating a fixed number of concurrent executions exclusively for this function. This combination ensures messages are processed in order without being throttled, avoiding unnecessary DLQ deliveries.
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 a standard SQS queue and configure a Lambda function with a higher concurrency limit.
Why it's wrong here
Standard queues do not guarantee ordering.
- ✗
Use an SQS FIFO queue with provisioned concurrency on the Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Provisioned concurrency is for Lambda, but for SQS-triggered functions, reserved concurrency is appropriate.
- ✗
Increase the batch size in the Lambda event source mapping and use a standard queue.
Why it's wrong here
Larger batch size does not prevent throttling and does not guarantee order.
- ✓
Use a FIFO SQS queue and configure the Lambda function with reserved concurrency.
Why this is correct
FIFO queues preserve order. Reserved concurrency prevents throttling by ensuring enough capacity.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing provisioned concurrency (which reduces cold starts) with reserved concurrency (which guarantees execution capacity), and assuming standard queues can maintain order when they only offer best-effort ordering.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Reserved concurrency sets a hard limit on the number of concurrent executions for a Lambda function, ensuring it always has capacity even when other functions consume the account-level concurrency limit (default 1000). SQS FIFO queues enforce first-in-first-out delivery and exactly-once processing, but they require a concurrency limit of 1 per message group ID to maintain order; reserved concurrency prevents throttling that would break this ordering. Under the hood, Lambda polls FIFO queues with a single long-polling connection per message group, so throttling can cause message reordering or DLQ routing.
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
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.
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
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Design for New Solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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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: Use a FIFO SQS queue and configure the Lambda function with reserved concurrency. — Option D is correct because using an SQS FIFO queue guarantees strict message ordering, and reserved concurrency on the Lambda function prevents throttling by allocating a fixed number of concurrent executions exclusively for this function. This combination ensures messages are processed in order without being throttled, avoiding unnecessary DLQ deliveries.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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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