- A
Use Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and an AWS Lambda function
Why wrong: Kinesis is designed for real-time streaming data, not for simple message processing from SQS.
- B
Use an SQS queue and an EC2 Auto Scaling group to poll and process messages
Why wrong: EC2 instances require provisioning and management, increasing operational overhead.
- C
Use an SQS queue as an event source for an AWS Lambda function
Lambda scales automatically with the SQS queue and charges per execution, minimizing cost and overhead.
- D
Use SQS to send messages to Amazon SNS, which triggers a Lambda function
Why wrong: Adding SNS introduces unnecessary complexity and latency; Lambda can directly poll SQS.
Question 1,199 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 new application that will process messages from an SQS queue. The messages must be processed in real-time with minimal latency, and the processing time per message varies from 100 ms to 5 seconds. The company wants to minimize cost and operational overhead. Which solution should the architect recommend?
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 an SQS queue as an event source for an AWS Lambda function
Option C is correct because using an SQS queue as an event source for AWS Lambda enables real-time, low-latency processing of messages without any polling infrastructure to manage. Lambda automatically scales to handle variable processing times (100 ms to 5 seconds) and charges only for compute time used, minimizing both cost and operational overhead. This serverless approach eliminates the need for EC2 instances or Auto Scaling groups, aligning perfectly with the requirements for minimal latency and reduced management effort.
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 Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and an AWS Lambda function
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis is designed for real-time streaming data, not for simple message processing from SQS.
- ✗
Use an SQS queue and an EC2 Auto Scaling group to poll and process messages
Why it's wrong here
EC2 instances require provisioning and management, increasing operational overhead.
- ✓
Use an SQS queue as an event source for an AWS Lambda function
Why this is correct
Lambda scales automatically with the SQS queue and charges per execution, minimizing cost and overhead.
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.
- ✗
Use SQS to send messages to Amazon SNS, which triggers a Lambda function
Why it's wrong here
Adding SNS introduces unnecessary complexity and latency; Lambda can directly poll SQS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume EC2 Auto Scaling is required for variable processing times, overlooking Lambda's native ability to scale instantly and cost-effectively for SQS-triggered workloads, or they mistakenly add unnecessary services like SNS or Kinesis that increase latency and cost without benefit.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When SQS is configured as a Lambda event source, Lambda uses long polling (ReceiveMessageWaitTimeSeconds up to 20 seconds) to reduce empty responses and minimize latency, while the Lambda service internally manages the polling and batch processing. The processing time variability (100 ms to 5 seconds) is handled by Lambda's concurrent execution model, which can scale to thousands of invocations per second based on the SQS queue's message volume. In real-world scenarios, this pattern is ideal for decoupled microservices where each message requires independent processing, such as order fulfillment or image resizing, and it avoids the cold-start penalty of EC2-based polling.
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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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 an SQS queue as an event source for an AWS Lambda function — Option C is correct because using an SQS queue as an event source for AWS Lambda enables real-time, low-latency processing of messages without any polling infrastructure to manage. Lambda automatically scales to handle variable processing times (100 ms to 5 seconds) and charges only for compute time used, minimizing both cost and operational overhead. This serverless approach eliminates the need for EC2 instances or Auto Scaling groups, aligning perfectly with the requirements for minimal latency and reduced management effort.
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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