DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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.
A developer is storing application configuration data in DynamoDB. The data is frequently accessed by partition key, and items are small (less than 1KB). The read traffic is consistent and predictable. Which read capacity mode is most cost-effective for this workload?
Why wrong: On-demand is more expensive than provisioned for consistent, predictable traffic because it charges per request without a reservation discount.
B
Provisioned with auto scaling
Why wrong: Auto scaling adds complexity and is unnecessary for consistent traffic; it may also incur additional costs for scaling actions.
C
Provisioned with reserved capacity
Why wrong: DynamoDB does not offer reserved capacity options like EC2 Reserved Instances. This is not a valid mode.
D
Provisioned with fixed capacity
Fixed provisioned read capacity is the most cost-effective for consistent, predictable workloads because you pay a lower hourly rate for the capacity you configure.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Provisioned with fixed capacity
Provisioned with fixed capacity is the most cost-effective option for this workload because the read traffic is consistent and predictable, and items are small (less than 1KB). With fixed provisioned capacity, you pay a flat hourly rate for a set number of read capacity units (RCUs), avoiding the per-request premium of on-demand mode or the overhead of auto scaling. Since the workload does not require elasticity, fixed capacity minimizes cost while ensuring sufficient throughput.
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.
✗
On-demand
Why it's wrong here
On-demand is more expensive than provisioned for consistent, predictable traffic because it charges per request without a reservation discount.
✗
Provisioned with auto scaling
Why it's wrong here
Auto scaling adds complexity and is unnecessary for consistent traffic; it may also incur additional costs for scaling actions.
✗
Provisioned with reserved capacity
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB does not offer reserved capacity options like EC2 Reserved Instances. This is not a valid mode.
✓
Provisioned with fixed capacity
Why this is correct
Fixed provisioned read capacity is the most cost-effective for consistent, predictable workloads because you pay a lower hourly rate for the capacity you configure.
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 often choose on-demand mode (Option A) thinking it is always simpler or more cost-effective, but for consistent, predictable workloads, provisioned fixed capacity is significantly cheaper because it avoids the per-request premium of on-demand pricing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB provisioned capacity uses RCUs, where one RCU provides one strongly consistent read per second for items up to 4 KB. For items under 1 KB, each read consumes only a fraction of an RCU (e.g., 0.25 RCU for a 1 KB item), so fixed provisioned capacity allows precise cost control. Under the hood, DynamoDB throttles requests if consumed capacity exceeds provisioned capacity, but with predictable traffic, you can set the exact number of RCUs needed, avoiding waste from over-provisioning or the premium of on-demand pricing.
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.
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 — 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: Provisioned with fixed capacity — Provisioned with fixed capacity is the most cost-effective option for this workload because the read traffic is consistent and predictable, and items are small (less than 1KB). With fixed provisioned capacity, you pay a flat hourly rate for a set number of read capacity units (RCUs), avoiding the per-request premium of on-demand mode or the overhead of auto scaling. Since the workload does not require elasticity, fixed capacity minimizes cost while ensuring sufficient throughput.
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 →
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.
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.