The answer is to enable concurrency scaling, as this is the most effective action to reduce Redshift WLM query wait times without altering the cluster size. Concurrency scaling works by automatically adding transient, on-demand cluster capacity to handle sudden spikes in concurrent queries, which directly addresses the root cause of high wait times during peak hours—namely, queuing due to insufficient processing slots. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of automatic WLM behavior and the distinction between scaling concurrency versus scaling compute resources; a common trap is assuming that simply increasing the maximum concurrency level (a manual WLM setting) will help, but without additional capacity, this only worsens resource contention. Remember the key insight: wait times are a queue problem, not a speed problem—concurrency scaling adds more lanes to the highway, while short query acceleration only speeds up small cars. A useful memory tip is "Wait times need more lanes, not faster cars."
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
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 data engineer is monitoring an Amazon Redshift cluster and notices that the 'WLM query wait time' metric is consistently high during peak hours. The cluster uses automatic WLM. The engineer wants to reduce query wait times without changing the cluster size. Which action is MOST effective?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable concurrency scaling.
Option C is correct because enabling concurrency scaling adds transient cluster capacity to handle bursts. Option A is wrong because short query acceleration helps with short queries, not necessarily wait times. Option B is wrong because manual WLM requires tuning queues. Option D is wrong because increased concurrency without resources may worsen contention.
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.
✓
Enable concurrency scaling.
Why this is correct
Concurrency scaling adds capacity to handle concurrent queries.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change WLM to manual mode and increase the number of queues.
Why it's wrong here
Manual WLM may not help without proper resource allocation.
✗
Increase the maximum number of queries per queue.
Why it's wrong here
More queries without more resources can increase contention.
✗
Enable short query acceleration (SQA).
Why it's wrong here
SQA prioritizes short queries but does not reduce overall wait times significantly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 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.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable concurrency scaling. — Option C is correct because enabling concurrency scaling adds transient cluster capacity to handle bursts. Option A is wrong because short query acceleration helps with short queries, not necessarily wait times. Option B is wrong because manual WLM requires tuning queues. Option D is wrong because increased concurrency without resources may worsen contention.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data engineer is monitoring an Amazon Redshift cluster and notices that queries are taking longer than expected. The engineer checks the system tables and sees that many queries are waiting for 'WLM' resources. What is the most likely cause and recommended fix?
hard
A.The table sort keys are poorly designed; recreate tables with better sort keys.
B.The distribution style is set to ALL; change to KEY distribution.
✓ C.The WLM queue concurrency is set too low; increase the concurrency level.
D.The cluster is running low on disk space; resize the cluster.
Why C: Option D is correct because WLM queue wait indicates concurrency throttling. Option A is wrong because disk space is unrelated. Option B is wrong because sort keys improve scan efficiency, not concurrency. Option C is wrong because distribution style affects data movement, not queue wait.
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.
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.