Quick Answer
The answer is to investigate account-level and method-level API Gateway throttling limits first. This is correct because API Gateway enforces two distinct rate-limiting layers: a hard account-level limit (default 10,000 requests per second per region) and a configurable method-level or stage-level throttle set via usage plans. When a load test exceeds either the configured burst capacity or steady-state rate, API Gateway immediately returns a 429 Too Many Requests error, making these the most likely culprits. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that throttling is not just a client-side issue but a server-side enforcement mechanism—a common trap is to blame the client’s retry logic or Lambda concurrency first. Remember that API Gateway throttling is a gatekeeper before any backend integration runs, so always check the usage plan’s rate and burst limits before scaling downstream services. Memory tip: “429 means the gate says no—check the plan before the code.”
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An API Gateway API returns 429 errors during load testing. Which two areas should the developer investigate first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Usage plan or stage throttling limits
Correct for the stated requirement.
S3 lifecycle expiration rules
Why wrong: This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
CloudFormation stack drift only
Why wrong: This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
Account-level or method-level API Gateway throttling
Correct for the stated requirement.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Usage plan or stage throttling limits
A is correct because API Gateway uses usage plans and stage-level throttling to limit request rates. When a client exceeds the configured rate limit (e.g., 10,000 requests per second) or burst limit, API Gateway returns a 429 Too Many Requests error. Investigating these limits is the first step to identify if the load test is hitting predefined caps.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Usage plan or stage throttling limits
Why this is correct
Correct for the stated requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
S3 lifecycle expiration rules
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
CloudFormation stack drift only
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
Account-level or method-level API Gateway throttling
Why this is correct
Correct for the stated requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may overlook account-level throttling (option D) as a separate investigation area, but both usage plan/stage limits and account/method-level limits are valid first checks for 429 errors.
Detailed technical explanation
API Gateway throttling operates at multiple levels: account-level (default 10,000 requests per second per region), stage-level, and method-level. Usage plans allow per-client rate limits via API keys. The 429 response includes a Retry-After header indicating when to retry. Under the hood, API Gateway uses a token bucket algorithm to enforce burst and steady-state limits.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Usage plan or stage throttling limits — A is correct because API Gateway uses usage plans and stage-level throttling to limit request rates. When a client exceeds the configured rate limit (e.g., 10,000 requests per second) or burst limit, API Gateway returns a 429 Too Many Requests error. Investigating these limits is the first step to identify if the load test is hitting predefined caps.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
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