The correct answer is that the stream does not have enough shards to handle the write throughput. Each Kinesis shard provides a maximum write capacity of 1 MB per second or 1,000 records per second, whichever is hit first. With two shards, the total capacity is 2 MB per second, but the application is writing 1,500 records per second at 50 KB each, which equals 75 MB per second—far exceeding the available shard capacity and causing high write latency. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Kinesis shard math and the common trap of only counting records per second while ignoring payload size. A useful memory tip is to always calculate the MB per second first: if your data rate exceeds 1 MB per shard, you need more shards, regardless of record count.
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer runs the describe-stream command and sees this output. The application is writing records to the stream but is experiencing high write latency. The average record size is 50 KB, and the write rate is 1500 records per second. What is the MOST likely cause of the latency?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The stream does not have enough shards to handle the write throughput.
Option A is correct. Each shard can ingest up to 1 MB/s or 1000 records/s (for 1 KB records). With 2 shards, the total capacity is 2000 records/s, but the record size is 50 KB, so the throughput in MB/s is 1500 * 50 KB = 75 MB/s, far exceeding the 2 MB/s total write capacity. The shards are overloaded. Option B is wrong because provisioned throughput is not relevant for Kinesis. Option C is wrong because the application does not need to be in the same region for performance. Option D is wrong because there is no mention of throttling from downstream.
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.
✗
The application is running in a different AWS region.
Why it's wrong here
Not necessarily a cause of latency.
✗
The application is exceeding the DynamoDB provisioned throughput.
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is not mentioned.
✗
The Kinesis stream is throttling the application because of a hot shard.
Why it's wrong here
Hot shard is a possibility but the main issue is insufficient shards.
✓
The stream does not have enough shards to handle the write throughput.
Why this is correct
2 shards provide 2 MB/s write capacity; the application requires 75 MB/s.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The stream does not have enough shards to handle the write throughput. — Option A is correct. Each shard can ingest up to 1 MB/s or 1000 records/s (for 1 KB records). With 2 shards, the total capacity is 2000 records/s, but the record size is 50 KB, so the throughput in MB/s is 1500 * 50 KB = 75 MB/s, far exceeding the 2 MB/s total write capacity. The shards are overloaded. Option B is wrong because provisioned throughput is not relevant for Kinesis. Option C is wrong because the application does not need to be in the same region for performance. Option D is wrong because there is no mention of throttling from downstream.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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