Quick Answer
The correct action is to perform an elastic resize to add more nodes, as this directly addresses the high CPU utilization bottleneck by increasing the cluster’s compute capacity without downtime. Elastic resize works by redistributing data across a new set of nodes while the cluster remains available, making it ideal for sustained CPU pressure during peak hours. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of when to scale compute resources versus using concurrency scaling, which only helps with a surge in concurrent queries, or Redshift Spectrum, which offloads I/O but not CPU. A common trap is confusing CPU bottlenecks with concurrency issues—remember that elastic resize adds raw compute power, while concurrency scaling adds separate clusters for queued queries. Memory tip: “CPU high? Resize to buy more compute; concurrency high? Scale to handle the queue.”
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 runs a production Amazon Redshift cluster. The data engineering team notices that queries are running slowly during peak hours. The cluster's CPU utilization is consistently above 80%. Which action should the engineer take to improve query performance?
Move some tables to Amazon Redshift Spectrum.
Why wrong: Spectrum processes data in S3, not cluster CPU.
Re-distribute the tables using a different distribution key.
Why wrong: Distribution tuning affects data movement, not CPU.
Enable concurrency scaling.
Why wrong: Concurrency scaling adds clusters for read queries, not CPU-bound.
Perform an elastic resize to add more nodes.
Elastic resize adds nodes and CPU capacity quickly.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Perform an elastic resize to add more nodes.
Option C is correct because elastic resize allows adding nodes without downtime, addressing CPU bottleneck. Option A is incorrect because concurrency scaling only helps with many concurrent queries, not CPU. Option B is incorrect because distributing data on a different key may not reduce CPU. Option D is incorrect because spectrum offloads to S3 but does not reduce cluster CPU usage.
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.
Move some tables to Amazon Redshift Spectrum.
Why it's wrong here
Spectrum processes data in S3, not cluster CPU.
Re-distribute the tables using a different distribution key.
Why it's wrong here
Distribution tuning affects data movement, not CPU.
Enable concurrency scaling.
Why it's wrong here
Concurrency scaling adds clusters for read queries, not CPU-bound.
Perform an elastic resize to add more nodes.
Why this is correct
Elastic resize adds nodes and CPU capacity quickly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Perform an elastic resize to add more nodes. — Option C is correct because elastic resize allows adding nodes without downtime, addressing CPU bottleneck. Option A is incorrect because concurrency scaling only helps with many concurrent queries, not CPU. Option B is incorrect because distributing data on a different key may not reduce CPU. Option D is incorrect because spectrum offloads to S3 but does not reduce cluster CPU usage.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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.
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