AWS Certified Developer Preparation
Preparing for the AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA-C02) exam? Don’t know where to start? This post is the AWS Certified Developer Associate Certificate Study Guide (with links to each objective in the exam domain).
I have curated a detailed list of articles from AWS documentation and other blogs for each objective of the AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA-C02) exam. Please share the post within your circles so it helps them to prepare for the exam.
Course on AWS Certified Developer Associate
| Coursera | AWS Certified Developer Associate Exam |
| Whizlabs | AWS Cert. Dev. Associate [Course + Labs] |
| Udemy | AWS Certified Developer Associate Course |
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Questions
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Content Domain 1: Development with AWS Services
Task 1: Develop code for applications hosted on AWS
Skill 1.1.1: Describe architectural patterns (for example, event-driven, microservices, monolithic, choreography, orchestration, fanout)
The benefits of event-driven architectures
Orchestration and choreography patterns
Integrating microservices by using AWS serverless services
Cloud design patterns, architectures, and implementations
Transitioning to event-driven architecture
Skill 1.1.2: Describe differences between stateful and stateless concepts
REL05-BP06 Make systems stateless where possible
How to test serverless functions and applications
Skill 1.1.3: Describe differences between tightly coupled and loosely coupled components
REL04-BP02 Implement loosely coupled dependencies
Hexagonal architecture pattern
What is Amazon Simple Queue Service?
Skill 1.1.4: Describe differences between synchronous and asynchronous patterns
Amazon SQS, Amazon SNS, or Amazon EventBridge?
Skill 1.1.5: Create fault-tolerant and resilient applications in a programming language (for example, Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go)
Reliability Pillar – AWS Well-Architected Framework
Resiliency, and the components of reliability
Fault tolerance and fault isolation
Skill 1.1.6: Create, extend, and maintain APIs (for example, response/request transformations, enforcing validation rules, overriding status codes)
Develop REST APIs in API Gateway
Request validation for REST APIs in API Gateway
Choose between REST APIs and HTTP APIs
Skill 1.1.7: Write and run unit tests in development environments (for example, using AWS SAM)
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Local testing with AWS SAM CLI
Introduction to testing with the sam local command
How to test serverless functions and applications
Best practices for testing serverless applications
Skill 1.1.8: Write code to use messaging services
What is Amazon Simple Queue Service?
What is Amazon Simple Notification Service?
Fanout Amazon SNS notifications to Amazon SQS queues for asynchronous processing
Skill 1.1.9: Write code that interacts with AWS services by using APIs and AWS SDKs
What is covered in the AWS SDKs and Tools Reference Guide
Authentication and access using AWS SDKs and tools
AWS SDKs and Tools standardized features
AWS SDKs and tools settings reference
Skill 1.1.10: Handle streaming data using AWS services
What is Amazon Kinesis Data Streams?
Using Lambda to process records from Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
What is Amazon Kinesis Data Analytics for SQL Applications?
Skill 1.1.11: Use Amazon Q Developer to assist with development
Using Amazon Q Developer on AWS apps and websites
Best practices with Amazon Q Developer for in-line and assistant code generation
Developing features with Amazon Q Developer
Skill 1.1.12: Use Amazon EventBridge to implement event-driven patterns
Event bus concepts in Amazon EventBridge
Amazon EventBridge event buses
Skill 1.1.13: Implement resilient application code for third-party service integrations (for example, retry logic, circuit breakers, error handling patterns)
AWS SDKs and Tools standardized features
Error handling and automatic retries in AWS SDKs
Task 2: Develop code for AWS Lambda
Skill 1.2.1: Describe the access of private resources in VPCs from Lambda code
Giving Lambda functions access to resources in an Amazon VPC
Giving Lambda functions access to a resource in an Amazon VPC in another account
Understanding the Lambda execution environment
Skill 1.2.2: Configure Lambda functions by defining environment variables and parameters (for example, memory, concurrency, timeout, runtime, handler, layers, extensions, triggers, destinations)
Working with AWS Lambda environment variables
Understanding Lambda function scaling
Configuring provisioned concurrency for a function
Managing Lambda dependencies with layers
Skill 1.2.3: Handle the event lifecycle and errors by using code (for example, Lambda Destinations, dead-letter queues)
Invoking a Lambda function asynchronously
How Lambda handles errors and retries with asynchronous invocation
Capturing records of Lambda asynchronous invocations
Skill 1.2.4: Write and run test code by using AWS services and tools
How to test serverless functions and applications
Local testing with AWS SAM CLI
Introduction to testing with sam local invoke
Best practices for testing serverless applications
Skill 1.2.5: Integrate Lambda functions with AWS services
Using Lambda to process records from Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
Capturing records of Lambda asynchronous invocations
Skill 1.2.6: Tune Lambda functions for optimal performance
Understanding Lambda function scaling
Understanding the Lambda execution environment lifecycle
Skill 1.2.7: Use Lambda functions to process and transform data in near real time
Using Lambda to process records from Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
What is Amazon Kinesis Data Streams?
Invoking a Lambda function asynchronously
Task 3: Use data stores in application development
Skill 1.3.1: Describe high-cardinality partition keys for balanced partition access
Best practices for designing and using partition keys effectively in DynamoDB
Data modeling for DynamoDB tables
Using Global Secondary Index write sharding for selective table queries in DynamoDB
Skill 1.3.2: Describe database consistency models (for example, strongly consistent, eventually consistent)
DynamoDB read and write operations
Skill 1.3.3: Describe differences between query and scan operations
Best practices for querying and scanning data in DynamoDB
DynamoDB read and write operations
Skill 1.3.4: Define Amazon DynamoDB keys and indexing
Best practices for designing and using partition keys effectively in DynamoDB
Using Global Secondary Indexes in DynamoDB
Best practices for using secondary indexes in DynamoDB
Skill 1.3.5: Serialize and deserialize data to provide persistence to a data store
AWS SDKs and Tools standardized features
Skill 1.3.6: Use, manage, and maintain data stores
What is Amazon Simple Storage Service?
Skill 1.3.7: Manage data lifecycles
Using time to live (TTL) in DynamoDB
Enable time to live (TTL) in DynamoDB
Setting lifecycle configuration on a bucket
DynamoDB Streams and Time to Live
Skill 1.3.8: Use data caching services
Common ElastiCache Use Cases and How ElastiCache Can Help
Database Caching Strategies Using Redis
Skill 1.3.9: Use specialized data stores based on access patterns (for example, Amazon OpenSearch Service)
What is Amazon OpenSearch Service?
Amazon SQS, Amazon SNS, or Amazon EventBridge?
Choosing the right database for your workload
Content Domain 2: Security
Task 1: Implement authentication and/or authorization for applications and AWS services
Skill 2.1.1: Use an identity provider to implement federated access (for example, Amazon Cognito, IAM)
Common Amazon Cognito scenarios
Skill 2.1.2: Secure applications by using bearer tokens
Understanding the access token
Accessing resources after successful sign-in
Control access to REST APIs using Amazon Cognito user pools as an authorizer
Skill 2.1.3: Configure programmatic access to AWS
Authentication and access credentials for the AWS CLI
Manage access keys for IAM users
Configuring IAM Identity Center authentication with the AWS CLI
Skill 2.1.4: Make authenticated calls to AWS services
AWS Signature Version 4 for API requests
Create a signed AWS API request
Use temporary credentials with AWS resources
Skill 2.1.5: Assume an IAM role
Switch from a user to an IAM role (console)
Switch to an IAM role (AWS CLI)
Using an IAM role in the AWS CLI
Skill 2.1.6: Define permissions for IAM principals
Policies and permissions in AWS Identity and Access Management
Adding and removing IAM identity permissions
Control access to AWS resources using policies
Skill 2.1.7: Implement application-level authorization for fine-grained access control
What is Amazon Verified Permissions?
IAM tutorial: Define permissions to access AWS resources based on tags
Configuring identity providers for your user pool
Skill 2.1.8: Handle cross-service authentication in microservice architectures
Create a role to delegate permissions to an AWS service
Federating AWS Identities to external services
Task 2: Implement encryption by using AWS services
Skill 2.2.1: Define encryption at rest and in transit
Using AWS KMS encryption with AWS services
Protecting data with encryption
General encryption best practices
Skill 2.2.2: Describe certificate management (for example, AWS Private CA)
Certificate authorities in AWS Private CA
What is the right AWS certificate service for my needs?
Skill 2.2.3: Describe differences between client-side encryption and server-side encryption
Client-side and server-side encryption
What is the AWS Encryption SDK?
Encryption best practices for AWS Lambda
Skill 2.2.4: Use encryption keys to encrypt or decrypt data
Encrypting and decrypting data keys
Encrypting data in Lambda-based applications
Data protection in AWS Key Management Service
Skill 2.2.5: Generate certificates and SSH keys for development purposes
Terms and concepts for AWS Private CA
Getting started with AWS Certificate Manager certificates
Data encryption at rest for AWS Lambda
Skill 2.2.6: Use encryption across account boundaries
Policies and permissions in AWS Identity and Access Management
IAM tutorial: Define permissions to access AWS resources based on tags
Using AWS KMS encryption with AWS services
Skill 2.2.7: Enable and disable key rotation
Perform on-demand key rotation
Task 3: Manage sensitive data in application code
Skill 2.3.1: Describe data classification (for example, personally identifiable information [PII], protected health information [PHI])
General encryption best practices
Data protection in AWS Secrets Manager
Using AWS KMS encryption with AWS services
Skill 2.3.2: Encrypt environment variables that contain sensitive data
Working with Lambda environment variables
Securing Lambda environment variables
Data encryption at rest for AWS Lambda
Encrypting data in Lambda-based applications
Skill 2.3.3: Use secret management services to secure sensitive data
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Using Parameter Store parameters in AWS Lambda functions
Data protection in AWS Secrets Manager
Skill 2.3.4: Sanitize sensitive data
General encryption best practices
Securing Lambda environment variables
Encryption best practices for AWS Lambda
Skill 2.3.5: Implement application-level data masking and sanitization
What is Amazon Verified Permissions?
Policies and permissions in AWS Identity and Access Management
Data protection in AWS Secrets Manager
Skill 2.3.6: Implement data access patterns for multi-tenant applications
What is Amazon Verified Permissions?
IAM tutorial: Define permissions to access AWS resources based on tags
Common Amazon Cognito scenarios
Policies and permissions in AWS Identity and Access Management
Content Domain 3: Deployment
Task 3.1: Prepare application artifacts to be deployed to AWS
Skill 3.1.1: Manage the dependencies of the code module (for example, environment variables, configuration files, container images) within the package
Configuring AWS Lambda functions
What is Amazon Elastic Container Registry?
Deploying Lambda functions as .zip file archives
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.1.2: Organize files and a directory structure for application deployment
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Deploying Lambda functions as .zip file archives
What is Amazon Elastic Container Registry?
Skill 3.1.3: Use code repositories in deployment environments
Working with repositories in AWS CodeCommit
Working with branches in AWS CodeCommit repositories
Working with commits in AWS CodeCommit repositories
Working with pull requests in AWS CodeCommit repositories
Skill 3.1.4: Apply application requirements for resources (for example, memory, cores)
Configuring AWS Lambda functions
Understanding Lambda function scaling
Best practices for working with AWS Lambda functions
Skill 3.1.5: Prepare application configurations for specific environments (for example, by using AWS AppConfig)
Set up stage variables for REST APIs in API Gateway
Use stage variables for a REST API in API Gateway
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Task 3.2: Test applications in development environments
Skill 3.2.1: Test deployed code by using AWS services and tools
Visualize Lambda function invocations using AWS X-Ray
Monitoring, debugging, and troubleshooting Lambda functions
Skill 3.2.2: Write integration tests and mock APIs for external dependencies
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.2.3: Test applications by using development endpoints (for example, configuring stages in Amazon API Gateway)
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Stages for HTTP APIs in API Gateway
Use stage variables for a REST API in API Gateway
Skill 3.2.4: Deploy application stack updates to existing environments (for example, deploying an AWS SAM template to a different staging environment)
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Skill 3.2.5: Test event-driven applications
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
What is Amazon Simple Notification Service?
Task 3.3: Automate deployment testing
Skill 3.3.1: Create application test events (for example, JSON payloads for testing AWS Lambda, API Gateway, AWS SAM resources)
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.3.2: Deploy API resources to various environments
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Create a deployment for a REST API in API Gateway
Skill 3.3.3: Create application environments that use approved versions for integration testing (for example, Lambda aliases, container image tags, AWS Amplify branches, AWS Copilot environments)
Create an alias for a Lambda function
Manage Lambda function versions
Welcome to AWS Amplify Hosting
What is Amazon Elastic Container Registry?
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.3.4: Implement and deploy infrastructure as code (IaC) templates (for example, AWS SAM templates, AWS CloudFormation templates)
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.3.5: Manage environments in individual AWS services (for example, differentiating between development, test, and production in API Gateway)
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Use stage variables for a REST API in API Gateway
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Skill 3.3.6: Use Amazon Q Developer to generate automated tests
Getting started with Amazon Q Developer in the IDE
Task 3.4: Deploy code by using AWS Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) services
Skill 3.4.1: Describe Lambda deployment packaging options
Deploying Lambda functions as .zip file archives
What is Amazon Elastic Container Registry?
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.4.2: Describe API Gateway stages and custom domains
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Use stage variables for a REST API in API Gateway
Stages for HTTP APIs in API Gateway
Skill 3.4.3: Update existing IaC templates (for example, AWS SAM templates, CloudFormation templates)
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.4.4: Manage application environments by using AWS services
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Skill 3.4.5: Deploy an application version by using deployment strategies
Implement Lambda canary deployments using a weighted alias
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Skill 3.4.6: Commit code to a repository to invoke build, test, and deployment actions
Working with repositories in AWS CodeCommit
Skill 3.4.7: Use orchestrated workflows to deploy code to different environments
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Skill 3.4.8: Perform application rollbacks by using existing deployment strategies
Implement Lambda canary deployments using a weighted alias
Skill 3.4.9: Use labels and branches for version and release management
Working with branches in AWS CodeCommit repositories
Working with repositories in AWS CodeCommit
Create an alias for a Lambda function
Manage Lambda function versions
Welcome to AWS Amplify Hosting
Skill 3.4.10: Use existing runtime configurations to create dynamic deployments (for example, using staging variables from API Gateway in Lambda functions)
Use stage variables for a REST API in API Gateway
Set up stage variables for REST APIs in API Gateway
Configuring AWS Lambda functions
Skill 3.4.11: Configure deployment strategies (for example, blue/green, canary, rolling) for application releases
Implement Lambda canary deployments using a weighted alias
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?
Content Domain 4: Troubleshooting and Optimization
Task 4.1: Assist in a root cause analysis
Skill 4.1.1: Debug code to identify defects
Monitoring, debugging, and troubleshooting Lambda functions
Troubleshoot deployment issues in Lambda
Visualize Lambda function invocations using AWS X-Ray
Skill 4.1.2: Interpret application metrics, logs, and traces
Using CloudWatch metrics with Lambda
Analyzing log data with CloudWatch Logs Insights
What is Amazon CloudWatch Logs?
Skill 4.1.3: Query logs to find relevant data
Analyzing log data with CloudWatch Logs Insights
What is Amazon CloudWatch Logs?
Viewing CloudWatch logs for Lambda functions
Using CloudWatch metrics with Lambda
Skill 4.1.4: Implement custom metrics (for example, Amazon CloudWatch embedded metric format [EMF])
Specification: Embedded metric format
Creating logs in embedded metric format using the client libraries
Publishing logs with the embedded metric format
Skill 4.1.5: Review application health by using dashboards and insights
What is Amazon CloudWatch Application Insights?
Monitor function performance with Amazon CloudWatch Lambda Insights
Using Amazon CloudWatch dashboards
Detect common application problems with CloudWatch Application Insights
Skill 4.1.6: Troubleshoot deployment failures by using service output logs
Troubleshoot deployment issues in Lambda
What is Amazon CloudWatch Logs?
Viewing CloudWatch logs for Lambda functions
Skill 4.1.7: Debug service integration issues in applications
Visualize Lambda function invocations using AWS X-Ray
Troubleshoot Amazon EventBridge
Analyzing log data with CloudWatch Logs Insights
Task 4.2: Instrument code for observability
Skill 4.2.1: Describe differences between logging, monitoring, and observability
What is Amazon CloudWatch Logs?
Monitoring, debugging, and troubleshooting Lambda functions
Skill 4.2.2: Implement an effective logging strategy to record application behavior and state
What is Amazon CloudWatch Logs?
Viewing CloudWatch logs for Lambda functions
Best practices for working with AWS Lambda functions
Skill 4.2.3: Implement code that emits custom metrics
Creating logs in embedded metric format using the client libraries
Using the CloudWatch agent to send embedded metric format logs
Publishing logs with the embedded metric format
Skill 4.2.4: Add annotations for tracing services
Visualize Lambda function invocations using AWS X-Ray
Skill 4.2.5: Implement notification alerts for specific actions (for example, notifications about quota limits or deployment completions)
What is Amazon Simple Notification Service?
Using Amazon CloudWatch alarms
Skill 4.2.6: Implement tracing by using AWS services and tools
Visualize Lambda function invocations using AWS X-Ray
Tracing requests with AWS X-Ray
Skill 4.2.7: Implement structured logging for application events and user actions
What is Amazon CloudWatch Logs?
Analyzing log data with CloudWatch Logs Insights
Skill 4.2.8: Configure application health checks and readiness probes
What is Amazon CloudWatch Application Insights?
Monitor function performance with Amazon CloudWatch Lambda Insights
Using Amazon CloudWatch alarms
Task 4.3: Optimize applications by using AWS services and features
Skill 4.3.1: Define concurrency
Understanding Lambda function scaling
Scaling and concurrency in Lambda
Best practices for working with AWS Lambda functions
Skill 4.3.2: Profile application performance
Monitor function performance with Amazon CloudWatch Lambda Insights
Using CloudWatch metrics with Lambda
Viewing metrics for Lambda functions
Skill 4.3.3: Determine minimum memory and compute power for an application
Configuring AWS Lambda functions
Understanding Lambda function scaling
Monitor function performance with Amazon CloudWatch Lambda Insights
Best practices for working with AWS Lambda functions
Skill 4.3.4: Use subscription filter policies to optimize messaging
Amazon SNS subscription filter policies
Applying a subscription filter policy in Amazon SNS
Amazon SNS subscription filter policy scope
Using Amazon SNS for application-to-application messaging
Skill 4.3.5: Cache content based on request headers
Cache settings for REST APIs in API Gateway
Set up a stage for a REST API in API Gateway
Deploy REST APIs in API Gateway
Skill 4.3.6: Implement application-level caching to improve performance
Cache settings for REST APIs in API Gateway
Best practices for working with AWS Lambda functions
Skill 4.3.7: Optimize application resource usage
Understanding Lambda function scaling
Best practices for working with AWS Lambda functions
Using CloudWatch metrics with Lambda
Skill 4.3.8: Analyze application performance issues
Monitor function performance with Amazon CloudWatch Lambda Insights
Analyzing log data with CloudWatch Logs Insights
Detect common application problems with CloudWatch Application Insights
Using CloudWatch metrics with Lambda
Skill 4.3.9: Use application logs to identify performance bottlenecks
Analyzing log data with CloudWatch Logs Insights
Viewing CloudWatch logs for Lambda functions
Monitor function performance with Amazon CloudWatch Lambda Insights
Wrapping Up
This guide covered all domains of the AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) exam, walking through every skill objective across deployment workflows, CI/CD services, troubleshooting approaches, and application optimization strategies. Each section links directly to official AWS documentation so you can go deeper on any topic that needs more attention.
For more AWS certification study materials, visit the AWS certification category on the site. If this guide helped you, feel free to share it or leave a comment below.
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