Quick Answer
The answer is to enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) because its in-memory caching layer directly reduces throttling and latency for on-demand tables without requiring any application changes. When write spikes hit 50,000 requests per second, DAX absorbs the read-heavy portion of the workload, offloading reads from the underlying table and freeing capacity for writes, which prevents the throttling that occurs when DynamoDB’s on-demand throughput limits are exceeded. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding that on-demand mode does not support Auto Scaling and that increasing read capacity units is irrelevant for write throttling—a common trap is to confuse read and write solutions. Remember that DAX is a read cache, not a write buffer, so it reduces throttling by reducing the total read load on the table, allowing write capacity to handle spikes more effectively. Memory tip: “DAX Deflects Reads” to recall that it shields the table from read traffic during bursts.
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 company uses Amazon DynamoDB with on-demand capacity for a gaming leaderboard. The table has 100 GB of data and receives 10,000 write requests per second with spikes to 50,000. The application experiences throttling during spikes. Which action should be taken to reduce throttling without changing the application?
Write data to Amazon S3 and use S3 Select
Why wrong: S3 is not designed for sub-millisecond writes.
Increase the provisioned read capacity units
Why wrong: Throttling is on writes, not reads.
Switch to provisioned capacity with Auto Scaling
Why wrong: On-demand capacity already handles spikes, but throttling still occurs.
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX)
DAX can offload read traffic and reduce write throttling.
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 D is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) provides in-memory caching to absorb read spikes and reduce write throttling by offloading reads. Option A is wrong because increasing read capacity does not help write throttling. Option B is wrong because Auto Scaling is not available with on-demand mode. Option C is wrong because S3 is not suitable for real-time writes.
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.
Write data to Amazon S3 and use S3 Select
Why it's wrong here
S3 is not designed for sub-millisecond writes.
Increase the provisioned read capacity units
Why it's wrong here
Throttling is on writes, not reads.
Switch to provisioned capacity with Auto Scaling
Why it's wrong here
On-demand capacity already handles spikes, but throttling still occurs.
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX)
Why this is correct
DAX can offload read traffic and reduce write throttling.
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 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 D is correct because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) provides in-memory caching to absorb read spikes and reduce write throttling by offloading reads. Option A is wrong because increasing read capacity does not help write throttling. Option B is wrong because Auto Scaling is not available with on-demand mode. Option C is wrong because S3 is not suitable for real-time writes.
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.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
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 company uses Amazon DynamoDB with on-demand capacity for a gaming application that experiences unpredictable traffic spikes. The application reads the same set of 'hot' items frequently. Users report high latency during peak hours. Which action would MOST effectively reduce read latency for the hot items?
hardWhy A: DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) is an in-memory cache that reduces read latency for frequently accessed items. Option C is correct. Option A: increasing read capacity units is not applicable for on-demand mode (it auto-scales). Option B: switching to provisioned capacity with auto-scaling does not address hot item latency. Option D: using Global Tables improves write availability across regions but does not reduce read latency for hot items.
Variation 2. A company has an Amazon DynamoDB table with on-demand capacity mode. The table stores session data for a web application. Recently, the application experienced throttling errors during a traffic spike. The team wants to prevent future throttling while optimizing costs. What should they do?
hardWhy A: A DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) cluster provides an in-memory cache that absorbs read-heavy traffic spikes, reducing the number of read requests that reach the underlying DynamoDB table. Since the throttling errors occurred during a traffic spike and the table uses on-demand capacity, which already scales automatically for writes and reads, the bottleneck is likely read-heavy traffic overwhelming the table's throughput. DAX offloads reads from the table, preventing throttling without requiring any changes to capacity mode, and it is cost-effective because it reduces read capacity unit consumption.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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