The correct answer is to increase the number of shards from 5 to 10. This resolves the WriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded error because each Kinesis shard provides a fixed 1 MB/s write capacity, and with only 5 shards the total provisioned throughput is 5 MB/s, which is insufficient for the sustained 8 MB/s producer load. By doubling the shard count to 10, the total write capacity rises to 10 MB/s, comfortably accommodating the incoming traffic and eliminating throttling. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Kinesis shard-level throughput limits and the direct relationship between shard count and write capacity—a common trap is to overlook that increasing shards is the only scaling mechanism for write throughput, not modifying the producer. Remember the memory tip: "Shards are your speed—1 MB/s per shard, so match your MB/s to shard count."
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 receives an alert that a Kinesis Data Stream has a 'WriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded' error. The stream has 5 shards with 1 MB/s write capacity per shard. The producer application is sending data at 8 MB/s sustained. What should the engineer do to resolve the issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Increase the number of shards from 5 to 10.
The 'WriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded' error indicates that the total write throughput to the Kinesis Data Stream exceeds the provisioned capacity. With 5 shards, each offering 1 MB/s write capacity, the total write capacity is 5 MB/s. The producer is sending 8 MB/s, which is above this limit. Increasing the number of shards to 10 raises the total write capacity to 10 MB/s, accommodating the sustained 8 MB/s throughput and resolving the throttling.
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.
✗
Reduce the record size to below 1 MB per record.
Why it's wrong here
Reducing record size may help per-shard limits, but the total throughput exceeds capacity.
✗
Enable enhanced fan-out on the stream.
Why it's wrong here
Enhanced fan-out improves consumer throughput, not producer write capacity.
✓
Increase the number of shards from 5 to 10.
Why this is correct
More shards increase the total write capacity, matching the 8 MB/s requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Kinesis Firehose as an intermediary to buffer data.
Why it's wrong here
Firehose does not increase Kinesis Stream write capacity; it is a delivery service.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse write-side throttling with read-side limitations, leading them to choose enhanced fan-out (a read-side optimization) instead of scaling shards to increase write capacity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Each Kinesis shard provides a fixed write capacity of 1 MB/s or 1,000 records per second, whichever is hit first. The total write throughput is the sum of all shard capacities, so scaling shards linearly increases write capacity. In practice, you should also consider using the Kinesis API's 'DescribeStreamSummary' to monitor 'OpenShardCount' and 'WriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded' metrics in CloudWatch to right-size shard count dynamically.
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 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: Increase the number of shards from 5 to 10. — The 'WriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded' error indicates that the total write throughput to the Kinesis Data Stream exceeds the provisioned capacity. With 5 shards, each offering 1 MB/s write capacity, the total write capacity is 5 MB/s. The producer is sending 8 MB/s, which is above this limit. Increasing the number of shards to 10 raises the total write capacity to 10 MB/s, accommodating the sustained 8 MB/s throughput and resolving the throttling.
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.
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 →
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.