Courseiva
← SOA-C02
Full test
Question 262 of 1,546
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct choice is to configure the SQS queue as an event source for Lambda with a DLQ specified in the Lambda function's dead-letter configuration. This works because when Lambda polls SQS as an event source, it manages message visibility and deletion itself, and the function’s own dead-letter configuration controls retries via the `maximumRetryAttempts` setting—defaulting to two retries after the initial attempt, totaling three attempts before routing the failed message to the Lambda-configured DLQ. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Lambda’s native SQS integration differs from SQS’s own redrive policy; a common trap is choosing the SQS redrive policy or visibility timeout adjustments, which handle queue-level failures rather than Lambda invocation failures. Remember the key distinction: for Lambda-triggered SQS, the DLQ belongs to the function, not the queue. Memory tip: “Lambda owns the retry—DLQ goes on the function, not the queue.”

SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question

This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 using AWS Lambda functions to process incoming messages from Amazon SQS. The Lambda function sometimes fails due to a transient error, and the message is not processed. The team wants to automatically retry failed messages and send them to a dead-letter queue (DLQ) after three failed attempts. Which configuration meets these requirements?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

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 as an event source for Lambda with a DLQ specified in the Lambda function's dead-letter configuration.

Option C is correct because when an SQS queue is configured as an event source for Lambda, the Lambda service manages the polling and deletion of messages. By specifying a dead-letter queue (DLQ) in the Lambda function's dead-letter configuration (not the SQS redrive policy), failed invocations are retried based on the Lambda function's 'maximumRetryAttempts' setting (default 2, plus the initial attempt equals 3 total). After exhausting retries, the message is sent to the DLQ specified in the Lambda configuration, ensuring automatic retry and DLQ routing without relying on SQS's visibility timeout or redrive policy.

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.

  • ✗

    Set the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to 1 and enable 'maximumRetryAttempts' to 2.

    Why it's wrong here

    maximumRetryAttempts is for synchronous invocations; for async, the retry behavior is built-in.

  • ✗

    Create an SQS queue with a visibility timeout that allows three retries before sending to a DLQ.

    Why it's wrong here

    Visibility timeout controls how long a message is invisible, not the number of retries.

  • ✓

    Configure the SQS queue as an event source for Lambda with a DLQ specified in the Lambda function's dead-letter configuration.

    Why this is correct

    Lambda's asynchronous invocation automatically retries twice and then sends the event to the DLQ after three total attempts.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    Configure the SQS queue with a redrive policy that allows three maximum receives before sending to a DLQ.

    Why it's wrong here

    This only controls how many times SQS delivers the message, not Lambda's processing failures.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates confuse the SQS redrive policy (which works at the queue level based on receive count) with the Lambda dead-letter configuration (which works at the function level based on invocation failures), leading them to choose Option D, which would send messages to a DLQ after three receives regardless of whether Lambda actually processed them or not.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, when Lambda polls SQS as an event source, it uses long polling and deletes messages only after successful processing. If the Lambda function throws an error, the message remains in the queue and becomes visible again after the visibility timeout expires, allowing Lambda to retry. The Lambda dead-letter configuration (DLQ) is separate from the SQS redrive policy; it catches messages that have exhausted the Lambda event source mapping's 'maximumRetryAttempts' (default 2) and 'maximumRecordAgeInSeconds' settings, sending them to a specified SQS or SNS DLQ. This is critical in scenarios where you want Lambda-specific retry behavior (e.g., exponential backoff) rather than relying on SQS's receive count, which might cause premature DLQ routing if the visibility timeout is too short.

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.

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.

Related practice questions

Related SOA-C02 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation.

Reliability and Business Continuity practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Reliability and Business Continuity.

Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation.

Security and Compliance practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.

Networking and Content Delivery practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Networking and Content Delivery.

Cost and Performance Optimization practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Cost and Performance Optimization.

SOA-C02 fundamentals practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 fundamentals.

SOA-C02 scenario practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 scenario.

SOA-C02 troubleshooting practice questions

Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free SOA-C02 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions20 questions30 questions50 questionsTimed 30
SOA-C02 practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SOA-C02 question test?

Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — 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 as an event source for Lambda with a DLQ specified in the Lambda function's dead-letter configuration. — Option C is correct because when an SQS queue is configured as an event source for Lambda, the Lambda service manages the polling and deletion of messages. By specifying a dead-letter queue (DLQ) in the Lambda function's dead-letter configuration (not the SQS redrive policy), failed invocations are retried based on the Lambda function's 'maximumRetryAttempts' setting (default 2, plus the initial attempt equals 3 total). After exhausting retries, the message is sent to the DLQ specified in the Lambda configuration, ensuring automatic retry and DLQ routing without relying on SQS's visibility timeout or redrive policy.

What should I do if I get this SOA-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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

More SOA-C02 practice questions

Browse all SOA-C02 questions →

Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026

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.

Loading comments…

Sign in to join the discussion.

This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.