An application uses DynamoDB to store order status. Reads happen extremely frequently for the same few keys (for example, the most recent orders), and the team wants lower read latency without changing the table’s partition key design. Which AWS service best fits this requirement?

Provision AWS WAF rules to reduce DynamoDB read latency caused by bots

WAF helps protect web/API endpoints by filtering malicious traffic. It does not provide an in-memory cache for DynamoDB reads and does not reduce the DynamoDB access path latency for legitimate application reads.

Enable multi-region writes in DynamoDB Global Tables to speed up reads locally

Global Tables primarily provides replication across regions for availability and regional access. It does not target latency for hot keys within a single region, and it changes replication/write behavior rather than accelerating DynamoDB point reads.

Add more read capacity units to DynamoDB and avoid caching entirely

Increasing read capacity helps throughput and can reduce throttling, but it does not directly reduce per-request latency for repeatedly accessed items. DAX is specifically intended to lower latency via caching for hot-key workloads.

What does this SAA-C03 question test?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Amazon DAX (DynamoDB Accelerator) to cache frequently read items — Amazon DAX best fits the requirement. DAX is purpose-built to improve DynamoDB read latency by caching frequently accessed items in memory. For workloads that repeatedly read the same keys (hot items), DAX can significantly reduce latency without changing the DynamoDB partition key design. The application uses the DAX endpoint so reads can be served from cache when possible, while still falling back to DynamoDB when needed. Why others are wrong: WAF mitigates malicious requests and does not accelerate DynamoDB read latency. Global Tables address cross-region replication rather than caching hot items in memory. Increasing read capacity focuses on handling throughput and throttling, not on latency reductions for repetitive reads—where an in-memory cache like DAX is the more direct solution.

What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.