- A
Switch the DynamoDB table from on-demand to provisioned capacity with a high write capacity unit (WCU) value.
Why wrong: On-demand can handle spikes, but the issue is sustained high traffic; provisioned may not solve the root cause and could be more expensive.
- B
Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code.
Lowering batch size reduces the number of concurrent writes, and backoff helps handle transient throttling.
- C
Increase the number of Kinesis shards to 20 to reduce the load per shard.
Why wrong: More shards would increase parallelism and thus DynamoDB writes, making throttling worse.
- D
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to allow more parallel executions.
Why wrong: More concurrency would increase write pressure on DynamoDB, worsening throttling.
Quick Answer
The correct step is to reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code. This directly addresses the DynamoDB throttling issue because even with on-demand capacity mode, DynamoDB imposes a per-partition throughput limit that can be exceeded by sudden traffic spikes—here, the combination of 10 Kinesis shards, a batch size of 100, and 5 concurrent Lambda invocations per shard can generate up to 5,000 writes per invocation window, overwhelming the table’s adaptive capacity. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Lambda’s batch size and concurrency interact with DynamoDB’s throttling behavior, especially under on-demand mode where scaling is not instantaneous. A common trap is assuming on-demand mode eliminates all throttling, but it only handles sustained traffic, not sharp bursts. Memory tip: think “smaller batches, smarter retries” to keep write rates under DynamoDB’s burst ceiling.
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 company uses Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to ingest clickstream data. The data is consumed by an AWS Lambda function that processes each record and writes to an Amazon DynamoDB table. Recently, the Lambda function has been failing with 'ProvisionedThroughputExceededException' from DynamoDB. The Lambda function uses the AWS SDK to batch write items in batches of 25. The DynamoDB table has on-demand capacity mode. The stream has 10 shards, and the Lambda function is configured with a batch size of 100 and 5 concurrent invocations per shard. What step should the team take to resolve the issue?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code.
Option A is correct because DynamoDB on-demand mode can throttle if traffic spikes exceed a sustained level. The Kinesis stream with 10 shards and Lambda concurrency can produce high write traffic. Reducing the batch size from 100 to 25 decreases the number of records processed per invocation, lowering the write rate and reducing throttling. Option B is wrong because on-demand mode automatically scales but it's not instantaneous; switching to provisioned with high WCU might help but is not necessary and could be costly. Option C is wrong because increasing concurrency would worsen throttling. Option D is wrong because the error is DynamoDB throttling, not Lambda concurrency.
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.
- ✗
Switch the DynamoDB table from on-demand to provisioned capacity with a high write capacity unit (WCU) value.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand can handle spikes, but the issue is sustained high traffic; provisioned may not solve the root cause and could be more expensive.
- ✓
Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code.
Why this is correct
Lowering batch size reduces the number of concurrent writes, and backoff helps handle transient throttling.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the number of Kinesis shards to 20 to reduce the load per shard.
Why it's wrong here
More shards would increase parallelism and thus DynamoDB writes, making throttling worse.
- ✗
Increase the Lambda function's reserved concurrency to allow more parallel executions.
Why it's wrong here
More concurrency would increase write pressure on DynamoDB, worsening throttling.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: Reduce the Lambda batch size to 25 and implement exponential backoff with jitter in the Lambda code. — Option A is correct because DynamoDB on-demand mode can throttle if traffic spikes exceed a sustained level. The Kinesis stream with 10 shards and Lambda concurrency can produce high write traffic. Reducing the batch size from 100 to 25 decreases the number of records processed per invocation, lowering the write rate and reducing throttling. Option B is wrong because on-demand mode automatically scales but it's not instantaneous; switching to provisioned with high WCU might help but is not necessary and could be costly. Option C is wrong because increasing concurrency would worsen throttling. Option D is wrong because the error is DynamoDB throttling, not Lambda concurrency.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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