Quick Answer
The answer is a hot partition causing latency. Even with on-demand capacity, which automatically scales to handle throughput, that scaling applies to the entire table, not to individual partitions. When a single partition receives a disproportionate share of writes—creating a hot partition—it can saturate that partition's internal resources, leading to increased latency even though the table-level consumed capacity is well below the provisioned limit and no throttling events occur. This question tests your understanding that DynamoDB’s on-demand mode eliminates throttling at the table level but does not prevent performance degradation from uneven access patterns. On the DVA-C02 exam, this is a classic trap: candidates see zero throttled events and assume no issues, but the real culprit is skewed workload distribution. Remember the key distinction: on-demand capacity is per-table, not per-partition. Memory tip: “Hot partition, cold table—latency without throttling.”
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 application uses DynamoDB as its database with on-demand capacity. The application experiences increased latency during peak hours. CloudWatch metrics show ConsumedWriteCapacityUnits is below ProvisionedWriteCapacityUnits, but ThrottledWriteEvents is zero. 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.
The table is experiencing write throttling.
Why wrong: ThrottledWriteEvents is zero.
The table has too many read capacity units.
Why wrong: Read capacity does not affect write latency.
The provisioned capacity is insufficient.
Why wrong: On-demand capacity scales automatically.
The workload has hot partitions.
Hot partitions cause latency even if overall capacity is sufficient.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The workload has hot partitions.
Option C is correct because even though capacity is not exceeded, hot partitions can cause latency. On-demand capacity is per-table, not per-partition. Option A is wrong because throttled events are zero. Option B is wrong because on-demand capacity is automatically managed. Option D is wrong because RCUs are not related to write latency.
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.
The table is experiencing write throttling.
Why it's wrong here
ThrottledWriteEvents is zero.
The table has too many read capacity units.
Why it's wrong here
Read capacity does not affect write latency.
The provisioned capacity is insufficient.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand capacity scales automatically.
The workload has hot partitions.
Why this is correct
Hot partitions cause latency even if overall capacity is sufficient.
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
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which DVA-C02 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
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The workload has hot partitions. — Option C is correct because even though capacity is not exceeded, hot partitions can cause latency. On-demand capacity is per-table, not per-partition. Option A is wrong because throttled events are zero. Option B is wrong because on-demand capacity is automatically managed. Option D is wrong because RCUs are not related to write latency.
Identify which DVA-C02 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.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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