The answer is that the table's provisioned read capacity is too low. This is the most likely cause because DynamoDB throttling occurs when read requests exceed the allocated read capacity units (RCUs), and the describe-table output confirms a provisioned read capacity of just 5, which is insufficient for the application's workload. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how DynamoDB capacity modes—provisioned versus on-demand—directly impact throttling behavior; a common trap is to overlook the provisioned setting and blame hot partitions or index design instead. Remember that when you see throttling errors alongside a low RCU number in describe-table output, the root cause is almost always capacity starvation, not data skew. A helpful memory tip: “Low RCU? Throttling is due.”
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
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.
Network Topology
The exhibit shows the output of describe-table for a DynamoDB table. The application is experiencing throttling errors when reading data. What is the MOST likely cause?
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 table's provisioned read capacity is too low.
The describe-table output shows the table has provisioned read capacity set to 5, but the application is experiencing throttling errors. Throttling occurs when read requests exceed the provisioned read capacity units (RCUs). Increasing the read capacity or implementing retries with exponential backoff would resolve this. The throttling is directly caused by insufficient provisioned read capacity for the workload.
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 sort key is not used correctly for queries.
Why it's wrong here
The sort key is used for sorting within a partition, but throttling is due to capacity.
✗
The table has a hot partition due to the HASH key.
Why it's wrong here
The schema shows user_id as HASH, which might be skewed, but the main issue is low read capacity.
✗
The table size is too large, causing slow reads.
Why it's wrong here
1 MB is very small.
✓
The table's provisioned read capacity is too low.
Why this is correct
5 RCUs is very low; if the application reads more than 5 RCUs, throttling occurs.
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
The trap here is that candidates may confuse throttling with performance issues like hot partitions or inefficient queries, but the describe-table output directly shows low provisioned read capacity, making insufficient capacity the most likely cause.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The schema shows user_id as HASH, which might be skewed, but the main issue is low read capacity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB throttles requests when the consumed read capacity exceeds the provisioned RCUs over a 1-second window. The describe-table output shows the table has 5 RCUs provisioned; if the application reads more than 5 4KB items per second (or equivalent), throttling occurs. Under the hood, DynamoDB uses a token bucket algorithm for capacity enforcement, and throttling returns a ProvisionedThroughputExceededException. In real-world scenarios, this often happens when a table is created with default low capacity and the application scales up without adjusting provisioned throughput.
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 Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The table's provisioned read capacity is too low. — The describe-table output shows the table has provisioned read capacity set to 5, but the application is experiencing throttling errors. Throttling occurs when read requests exceed the provisioned read capacity units (RCUs). Increasing the read capacity or implementing retries with exponential backoff would resolve this. The throttling is directly caused by insufficient provisioned read capacity for the workload.
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.
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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