- 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.
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?
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.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the application requires a fully managed NoSQL database with single-digit millisecond latency at any scale, and the team is willing to redesign the data model and application code to fit DynamoDB's key-value and document structures.
- ✗
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.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a scenario where the requirement is to offload heavy write processing or to trigger downstream actions (e.g., data export, analytics pipeline) after each database write, and the application can tolerate eventual consistency for those downstream tasks.
- ✗
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.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a scenario where the database is over-provisioned for the actual workload (e.g., consistently low CPU usage) and the goal is to reduce costs without negatively impacting performance. For example, a question stating 'The database CPU utilization is below 10% and costs must be minimized.'
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SAA-C03 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Create an RDS read replica and point the reporting queries to the replica endpoint.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload reads from the primary and can speed up SELECT-heavy workloads with minimal changes.
✗Switch the cluster to DynamoDB without redesigning the data model.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Switching to DynamoDB without redesigning the data model is not feasible because RDS PostgreSQL and DynamoDB have fundamentally different data models (relational vs. NoSQL), requiring significant application changes to adapt queries, schema, and consistency models.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the application requires a fully managed NoSQL database with single-digit millisecond latency at any scale, and the team is willing to redesign the data model and application code to fit DynamoDB's key-value and document structures.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think DynamoDB is a universal performance solution for all read-heavy workloads, overlooking the critical need for data model compatibility and the effort required to migrate from a relational database.
✗Enable S3 event notifications to trigger a Lambda function after each write to the database.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option does not directly improve read performance for SELECT-heavy workloads on RDS PostgreSQL. It introduces asynchronous S3 event notifications and Lambda processing, which adds latency and complexity without offloading read queries from the primary database.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a scenario where the requirement is to offload heavy write processing or to trigger downstream actions (e.g., data export, analytics pipeline) after each database write, and the application can tolerate eventual consistency for those downstream tasks.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that using serverless components like S3 and Lambda can scale reads, but they overlook that the bottleneck is database CPU from SELECT queries, which this option does not address.
✗Replace the RDS instance class with a smaller size to reduce cost and improve performance.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Replacing the RDS instance with a smaller size would reduce CPU capacity, worsening performance under SELECT-heavy workloads, not improving it. The question asks for improved read performance, not cost reduction.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a scenario where the database is over-provisioned for the actual workload (e.g., consistently low CPU usage) and the goal is to reduce costs without negatively impacting performance. For example, a question stating 'The database CPU utilization is below 10% and costs must be minimized.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that a smaller instance class reduces cost and assume performance is tied to cost, or they misinterpret 'improve performance' as 'reduce unnecessary resource waste'.
Analysis generated from the official SAA-C03blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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
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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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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