The answer is to increase the provisioned read capacity for the table, as this directly resolves DynamoDB read throttling by raising the number of allowed read operations per second. When a table’s actual read demand exceeds its configured RCUs, DynamoDB throttles requests to maintain performance, so provisioning more capacity eliminates the bottleneck without any application changes. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of DynamoDB capacity management versus caching or consistency adjustments—a common trap is assuming DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) can fix throttling without code changes, but DAX requires SDK modifications. Remember that eventually consistent reads already consume half the RCUs of strongly consistent reads, so the only scalable fix here is raising the RCU limit. Memory tip: “Throttled? Throw more RCUs at the table—no code, no cache, just capacity.”
DBS-C01 Management and Operations Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. 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 is using Amazon DynamoDB for a web application. The company notices that read requests to a particular table are throttled during peak hours. The table has a provisioned read capacity of 1000 read capacity units (RCUs). The read requests are mostly eventually consistent reads. What should the company do to reduce throttling without changing the application code?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Increase the provisioned read capacity for the table.
Increasing the provisioned read capacity directly addresses throttling by allowing more reads per second. Option B is wrong because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) requires code changes to use. Option C is wrong because eventually consistent reads are already used. Option D is wrong because using strongly consistent reads would increase RCU consumption, worsening 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.
✗
Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache the read results.
Why it's wrong here
This requires application code changes and does not address the provisioned capacity.
✗
Switch to strongly consistent reads to reduce the number of read requests.
Why it's wrong here
Strongly consistent reads consume more RCUs, not less.
✗
Implement DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache read requests.
Why it's wrong here
DAX requires application code changes to use.
✓
Increase the provisioned read capacity for the table.
Why this is correct
This directly increases the number of allowed reads per second, reducing throttling.
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 DBS-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.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Increase the provisioned read capacity for the table. — Increasing the provisioned read capacity directly addresses throttling by allowing more reads per second. Option B is wrong because DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) requires code changes to use. Option C is wrong because eventually consistent reads are already used. Option D is wrong because using strongly consistent reads would increase RCU consumption, worsening throttling.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DBS-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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Question Discussion
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