The answer is to enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for the table, which caches frequently accessed data to reduce read and write load on hot partitions. This resolves DynamoDB hot partition throttling without code changes by offloading repetitive requests to an in-memory cache, allowing the base table to handle the remaining traffic without exceeding partition throughput limits. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of caching strategies for on-demand capacity tables, where increasing capacity units is not applicable and adding indexes does not alleviate partition-level throttling. A common trap is to suggest adding a secondary index or using SQS, but these either fail to reduce base-table load or introduce latency and application changes. Memory tip: DAX = Dump the heat on a cache, not the partition.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 gaming company uses Amazon DynamoDB as the database for a leaderboard feature. The table has a partition key of 'game_id' and a sort key of 'score'. The table uses on-demand capacity mode. During a new game launch, write traffic to a few popular game_id partitions becomes very hot, causing throttling. The company wants to improve performance for these hot partitions without changing the application code. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for the table to cache frequently accessed data.
Option D is correct. Using DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) caches hot data and reduces read/write load on partitions. Option A: Increasing read/wix capacity units does not apply to on-demand mode. Option B: Adding a secondary index does not reduce throttling on the base table. Option C: Using SQS for writes would add latency and change application behavior.
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.
✗
Add a global secondary index with a different partition key.
Why it's wrong here
GSI has its own throughput and does not reduce throttling on the base table.
✓
Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for the table to cache frequently accessed data.
Why this is correct
DAX reduces the number of reads to the table, alleviating hot partition contention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Switch to provisioned capacity and increase read/write capacity units for the table.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand mode automatically scales, but hot partitions still throttle; provisioned mode may not help.
✗
Implement an Amazon SQS queue to buffer write requests.
Why it's wrong here
This would decouple writes but add latency and complexity, and may not solve hot partition issues.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SAP-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.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) for the table to cache frequently accessed data. — Option D is correct. Using DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) caches hot data and reduces read/write load on partitions. Option A: Increasing read/wix capacity units does not apply to on-demand mode. Option B: Adding a secondary index does not reduce throttling on the base table. Option C: Using SQS for writes would add latency and change application behavior.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SAP-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.
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 →
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 company uses Amazon DynamoDB as its primary database. The operations team is seeing increased read latency during peak hours. The table has a provisioned read capacity of 1000 RCU, but CloudWatch metrics show that consumed read capacity frequently reaches 1000 RCU. The application uses eventually consistent reads. What is the MOST cost-effective way to reduce read latency?
medium
A.Switch to strongly consistent reads to improve consistency.
✓ B.Enable DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache frequently read items.
C.Create a global secondary index (GSI) on the table to offload reads.
D.Increase the provisioned read capacity to 2000 RCU.
E.Use Amazon ElastiCache for Memcached as a read cache.
Why B: Option C is correct because enabling DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) provides an in-memory cache that reduces read latency without increasing provisioned RCU. Option A is wrong because increasing RCU increases cost. Option B is wrong because switching to strongly consistent reads would double RCU consumption. Option D is wrong because adding a global secondary index does not reduce read latency for the base table. Option E is wrong because using ElastiCache adds complexity and cost.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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This SAP-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 SAP-C02 exam.
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