- A
Use AWS WAF to block requests after 100 per second.
Why wrong: Incorrect: WAF does not throttle based on API keys.
- B
Set a reserved concurrency on the Lambda function to 100.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Reserved concurrency limits overall function invocations, not per API key.
- C
Configure a CloudWatch alarm to disable the API key after exceeding the limit.
Why wrong: Incorrect: CloudWatch alarms are reactive and not suitable for real-time throttling.
- D
Create a usage plan in API Gateway with a rate limit of 100 requests per second per API key.
Correct: Usage plans allow per-key throttling.
Question 1,481 of 1,616
How to Enforce API Gateway Throttling Per API Key with Usage Plans
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 API Gateway to expose a set of RESTful APIs. Each API call is processed by an AWS Lambda function. The company wants to enforce throttling limits to prevent abuse. Specifically, the company wants to allow 100 requests per second per API key. What is the SIMPLEST way to achieve this?
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
✓
Create a usage plan in API Gateway with a rate limit of 100 requests per second per API key.
Option D is correct because API Gateway usage plans are specifically designed to enforce throttling limits per API key. By creating a usage plan with a rate limit of 100 requests per second and associating it with the desired API keys, you can directly control request rates at the API Gateway layer without additional services or custom logic. This is the simplest and most native approach for per-API-key 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 AWS WAF to block requests after 100 per second.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: WAF does not throttle based on API keys.
- ✗
Set a reserved concurrency on the Lambda function to 100.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Reserved concurrency limits overall function invocations, not per API key.
- ✗
Configure a CloudWatch alarm to disable the API key after exceeding the limit.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: CloudWatch alarms are reactive and not suitable for real-time throttling.
- ✓
Create a usage plan in API Gateway with a rate limit of 100 requests per second per API key.
Why this is correct
Correct: Usage plans allow per-key throttling.
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 reserved concurrency (which limits Lambda execution concurrency) with API-level rate limiting, or assume that a reactive solution like CloudWatch alarms can enforce proactive throttling, when in fact API Gateway usage plans provide the simplest and most direct mechanism for per-API-key rate control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
API Gateway usage plans enforce rate limits using a token bucket algorithm, where each API key is allocated a bucket of tokens that refills at the specified rate (e.g., 100 tokens per second). This ensures smooth throttling even under burst traffic, as the bucket can accumulate up to a burst limit (default equal to the rate limit). In a real-world scenario, if a client sends 150 requests in one second, the first 100 succeed, and the remaining 50 receive a 429 Too Many Requests response, preventing abuse without impacting other API keys.
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 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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
- →
Development with AWS Services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Development with AWS Services practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DVA-C02 questions
1,616 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DVA-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DVA-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Development with AWS Services practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Development with AWS Services.
Security practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Security.
Deployment practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Deployment.
Troubleshooting and Optimization practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to Troubleshooting and Optimization.
DVA-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to DVA-C02 fundamentals.
DVA-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to DVA-C02 scenario.
DVA-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DVA-C02 questions linked to DVA-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DVA-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a usage plan in API Gateway with a rate limit of 100 requests per second per API key. — Option D is correct because API Gateway usage plans are specifically designed to enforce throttling limits per API key. By creating a usage plan with a rate limit of 100 requests per second and associating it with the desired API keys, you can directly control request rates at the API Gateway layer without additional services or custom logic. This is the simplest and most native approach for per-API-key throttling.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 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 →
Keep practising
More DVA-C02 practice questions
- A developer is troubleshooting an AWS Lambda function that is triggered by an S3 event. The function occasionally fails…
- A developer needs to call AWS APIs from application code running on EC2. Which credential source should the AWS SDK use…
- A developer needs to allow an IAM user in a different AWS account to assume a role in the developer's account. The role…
- A developer needs to grant an IAM role in Account B read-only access to objects in an S3 bucket in Account A. The bucket…
- An API Gateway HTTP API should allow access only to users authenticated by an external OIDC provider. Which authorizer t…
- A developer needs to allow an EC2 instance to read from a DynamoDB table. Which is the best practice to grant permission…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
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.