This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 data engineer is migrating an on-premises Apache HBase workload to Amazon DynamoDB. The application requires strongly consistent reads and the ability to query by a composite key (partition key + sort key). Which DynamoDB table design should be used?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a table with a partition key and sort key, and use ConsistentRead parameter.
DynamoDB natively supports strongly consistent reads when you use the `ConsistentRead` parameter set to `true` on GetItem, Query, or Scan operations. By defining a table with a partition key and sort key, you can directly query by the composite key (partition key + sort key) with strong consistency, meeting both requirements without additional infrastructure.
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.
✓
Create a table with a partition key and sort key, and use ConsistentRead parameter.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a secondary index with strongly consistent reads.
Why it's wrong here
Secondary indexes are not used for primary key definition.
✗
Use a local secondary index (LSI) with the composite key.
Why it's wrong here
LSI is an alternative sort key, but the table still needs a primary key.
✗
Create a global secondary index (GSI) with the composite key.
Why it's wrong here
GSI queries are eventually consistent by default.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume secondary indexes (LSI or GSI) can provide strongly consistent reads, but DynamoDB explicitly restricts strong consistency to base table operations only.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB's strongly consistent reads return the most up-to-date data by reading from the leader replica in the storage backend, which incurs higher latency and consumes more read capacity units (RCUs) than eventually consistent reads. The `ConsistentRead` parameter is only available on the base table's GetItem, Query, and Scan operations; it is explicitly not supported on any secondary index (LSI or GSI), making the base table with a composite key the only viable design for this requirement.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a table with a partition key and sort key, and use ConsistentRead parameter. — DynamoDB natively supports strongly consistent reads when you use the `ConsistentRead` parameter set to `true` on GetItem, Query, or Scan operations. By defining a table with a partition key and sort key, you can directly query by the composite key (partition key + sort key) with strong consistency, meeting both requirements without additional infrastructure.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 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.
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Question Discussion
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