About This Domain
Domain 1 — Development with AWS Services — accounts for 32% of the DVA-C02 certification exam. This domain evaluates your understanding of developing code for applications using aws sdks, cli, and apis, implementing application logic with lambda, step functions, and eventbridge, working with data stores (dynamodb, s3, rds, elasticache), and related concepts. Domain 1 tests your ability to develop, deploy, and maintain applications using AWS SDKs, APIs, CLI, and core compute, storage, database, and messaging services. To pass this section you need practical knowledge of how these services and patterns work together in real-world architectures.
What You'll Be Tested On
- Developing code for applications using AWS SDKs, CLI, and APIs
- Implementing application logic with Lambda, Step Functions, and EventBridge
- Working with data stores (DynamoDB, S3, RDS, ElastiCache)
- Implementing messaging and streaming with SQS, SNS, and Kinesis
- Configuring API Gateway REST and HTTP APIs
- Containerized development with ECS and ECR
Key AWS Services in This Domain
Study Strategy for Domain 1
At 32% of the exam, this is the highest-weighted domain — invest proportionally more study time here. Focus on hands-on labs and scenario-based questions. Aim to answer at least 80% of Domain 1 questions correctly in practice tests before sitting the real exam.
Exam Tips for Domain 1
Know the differences between SQS Standard and FIFO queues, especially for ordering and deduplication.
Understand Lambda concurrency — reserved vs provisioned — and how cold starts affect performance.
DynamoDB GSI and LSI have different consistency, throughput, and key requirements — know when to use each.
API Gateway HTTP APIs are cheaper and faster; REST APIs offer more features like caching and usage plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions on the DVA-C02 exam come from Domain 1?
Domain 1 (Development with AWS Services) makes up 32% of the DVA-C02 exam. The exam has 65 scored questions, so approximately 21 questions will come from this domain.
What services should I focus on for Domain 1?
The key services for this domain include Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, S3, SQS, SNS, Step Functions, ECS, Kinesis, RDS, ElastiCache, CloudFront. Make sure you understand how each service works, its use cases, and how they integrate with one another.
How should I prepare for Development with AWS Services questions?
Start by reviewing the key topics listed above, then practice with domain-specific questions. Focus on understanding real-world scenarios rather than memorizing facts. Use our practice quizzes to test your knowledge and review explanations for any questions you get wrong.
What's the best order to study the DVA-C02 domains?
Many candidates start with the highest-weighted domains first. For the DVA-C02 exam, the domains in order of weight are: Development with AWS Services (32%), Security (26%), Deployment (24%), Troubleshooting and Optimization (18%). However, start with whichever domain aligns best with your existing experience.
Practice Domain 1 Questions
Test your knowledge of Development with AWS Services with practice questions from our DVA-C02 question bank.
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