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Question 304 of 1,040

Design High-Performing Architectures →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is to create an RDS read replica and point reporting queries to its endpoint. This is correct because a read replica offloads SELECT-heavy workloads from the primary database instance, directly addressing CPU spikes caused by read traffic while writes remain unaffected. RDS read replicas use PostgreSQL’s built-in asynchronous replication, providing eventually consistent reads with typically sub-second lag—perfect for reports that tolerate slight delays. On the SAA-C03 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between scaling reads via replicas versus scaling writes or caching; a common trap is suggesting ElastiCache, but read replicas require fewer application changes and are more native to RDS. Remember the key trade-off: read replicas sacrifice immediate consistency for performance, so only choose them when eventual consistency is acceptable. Memory tip: “Replicas for reads, Multi-AZ for recovery”—if the question mentions SELECT spikes and tolerable lag, always reach for a read replica first.

SAA-C03 Design High-Performing Architectures Practice Question

This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing architectures. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 retail analytics app uses Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. Read traffic is growing, and the database CPU spikes mainly due to SELECT-heavy workloads. Writes are less frequent, and the app can tolerate eventually consistent reads for the reports. What is the most appropriate AWS-native way to improve read performance with minimal application changes?

Question 1easymultiple choice

Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →

A
Create an RDS read replica and point the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
Read replicas offload reads from the primary and can speed up SELECT-heavy workloads with minimal changes.
B
Switch the cluster to DynamoDB without redesigning the data model.
Why wrong: Moving to DynamoDB typically requires significant model changes and does not directly solve RDS read pressure.
C
Enable S3 event notifications to trigger a Lambda function after each write to the database.
Why wrong: S3 event notifications are unrelated to database read scaling and won’t reduce SELECT workload on RDS.
D
Replace the RDS instance class with a smaller size to reduce cost and improve performance.
Why wrong: Smaller instances usually worsen performance and would likely increase CPU and latency under read load.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 an RDS read replica and point the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.

Creating an RDS read replica is the most appropriate AWS-native solution because it offloads SELECT-heavy workloads from the primary database instance to a read-only copy, reducing CPU spikes on the primary. The application can tolerate eventually consistent reads for reports, which is exactly the consistency model of RDS read replicas (typically sub-second replication lag). This requires minimal application changes—only updating the reporting queries to point to the replica endpoint—and fully leverages PostgreSQL's built-in replication capabilities.

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.

✓
Create an RDS read replica and point the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload reads from the primary and can speed up SELECT-heavy workloads with minimal changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Switch the cluster to DynamoDB without redesigning the data model.
Why it's wrong here
Moving to DynamoDB typically requires significant model changes and does not directly solve RDS read pressure.
✗
Enable S3 event notifications to trigger a Lambda function after each write to the database.
Why it's wrong here
S3 event notifications are unrelated to database read scaling and won’t reduce SELECT workload on RDS.
✗
Replace the RDS instance class with a smaller size to reduce cost and improve performance.
Why it's wrong here
Smaller instances usually worsen performance and would likely increase CPU and latency under read load.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates might assume read replicas require application changes to handle eventual consistency, but the question explicitly states the app can tolerate eventually consistent reads, making the replica endpoint swap a minimal-change solution.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

RDS read replicas use PostgreSQL's native streaming replication, where the primary instance continuously ships WAL (Write-Ahead Log) segments to replicas, allowing them to apply changes asynchronously. This means read replicas can serve queries with minimal lag (often milliseconds), but they are not suitable for workloads requiring strong consistency. In a real-world scenario, if the reporting queries involve complex aggregations or joins, the replica can be scaled independently (e.g., using a larger instance class or Multi-AZ for high availability) without affecting the primary's write performance.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SAA-C03 question test?

Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Create an RDS read replica and point the reporting queries to the replica endpoint. — Creating an RDS read replica is the most appropriate AWS-native solution because it offloads SELECT-heavy workloads from the primary database instance to a read-only copy, reducing CPU spikes on the primary. The application can tolerate eventually consistent reads for reports, which is exactly the consistency model of RDS read replicas (typically sub-second replication lag). This requires minimal application changes—only updating the reporting queries to point to the replica endpoint—and fully leverages PostgreSQL's built-in replication capabilities.

What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 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.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on SAA-C03

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A retail analytics app uses Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. Read traffic is growing, and the database CPU spikes mainly due to SELECT-heavy workloads. Writes are less frequent, and the app can tolerate eventually consistent reads for the reports. What is the most appropriate AWS-native way to improve read performance with minimal application changes?

easy

✓ A.Create an RDS read replica and point the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.
B.Switch the cluster to DynamoDB without redesigning the data model.
C.Enable S3 event notifications to trigger a Lambda function after each write to the database.
D.Replace the RDS instance class with a smaller size to reduce cost and improve performance.

Why A: Creating an RDS read replica is the most appropriate AWS-native solution because it offloads SELECT-heavy read traffic from the primary database instance to a separate read-only replica, reducing CPU spikes on the primary. The application can tolerate eventually consistent reads for reports, which aligns with the natural replication lag of RDS read replicas (typically sub-second). This requires minimal application changes—only updating the reporting queries to point to the replica endpoint—and leverages PostgreSQL's built-in streaming replication.

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This SAA-C03 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 SAA-C03 exam.