This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 Amazon DynamoDB for a gaming application with high read and write throughput. The data engineer notices that the read latency is high during peak hours. The table has a partition key only (no sort key). The engineer wants to improve read performance by distributing reads across partitions more evenly. Which action should the engineer take?
Increase the read capacity units of the table.
Why wrong: This may help throughput but not necessarily latency if partitions are hot.
Add a sort key to the table.
Why wrong: Adding a sort key does not affect read distribution.
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX).
DAX provides a write-through cache, reducing read latency.
Enable DynamoDB global tables.
Why wrong: Global tables are for multi-region replication, not read latency improvement.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX).
Option C is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is an in-memory cache that reduces read latency from single-digit milliseconds to microseconds by caching frequently accessed items. Since the issue is high read latency during peak hours and the table has only a partition key, DAX offloads reads from the underlying table, distributing the read load and improving response times without changing the table's key structure.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Increase the read capacity units of the table.
Why it's wrong here
This may help throughput but not necessarily latency if partitions are hot.
Add a sort key to the table.
Why it's wrong here
Adding a sort key does not affect read distribution.
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX).
Why this is correct
DAX provides a write-through cache, reducing read latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Enable DynamoDB global tables.
Why it's wrong here
Global tables are for multi-region replication, not read latency improvement.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse increasing capacity (Option A) with improving read distribution, not realizing that latency issues from hot partitions require caching or key redesign, not just more RCUs.
Detailed technical explanation
DAX acts as a write-through cache that intercepts read requests and serves them from memory if the item is cached, reducing the load on the underlying DynamoDB partitions. For tables with only a partition key, DAX is particularly effective because it caches individual GetItem results, which are the primary read pattern, and can handle up to millions of requests per minute. In a real-world gaming scenario, DAX can absorb read spikes from popular game items or user profiles, preventing those hot keys from overwhelming specific partitions.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Data Store Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Data Store Management practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All DEA-C01 questions
1,786 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
DEA-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Ingestion and Transformation.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Operations and Support.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Security and Governance.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Store Management.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 fundamentals.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 scenario.
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX). — Option C is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is an in-memory cache that reduces read latency from single-digit milliseconds to microseconds by caching frequently accessed items. Since the issue is high read latency during peak hours and the table has only a partition key, DAX offloads reads from the underlying table, distributing the read load and improving response times without changing the table's key structure.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
Keep practising
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.
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.
Sign in to join the discussion.