- A
Use strongly consistent reads for all read requests to ensure data accuracy.
Why wrong: More expensive than necessary.
- B
Use DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache reads and achieve strong consistency.
Why wrong: DAX provides eventually consistent caching, not strong consistency.
- C
Use DynamoDB global tables with strongly consistent reads enabled.
Why wrong: Overkill and costly.
- D
Use strongly consistent reads for the pattern that requires it, and eventually consistent reads for the other pattern.
Optimizes cost by using the cheaper eventually consistent reads when acceptable.
Question 73 of 1,746
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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 company is designing a new application that will use Amazon DynamoDB as its primary database. The application has two access patterns: one requires strongly consistent reads, and the other requires eventually consistent reads. The company wants to minimize costs while meeting the read consistency requirements. How should the company configure DynamoDB reads?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
✓
Use strongly consistent reads for the pattern that requires it, and eventually consistent reads for the other pattern.
Option D is correct because DynamoDB supports both strongly consistent reads and eventually consistent reads at the API level (via the `ConsistentRead` parameter). Strongly consistent reads return the most up-to-date data but consume twice the read capacity units (RCUs) compared to eventually consistent reads. By using strongly consistent reads only for the access pattern that requires it, and eventually consistent reads for the other pattern, the company minimizes RCU consumption and thus costs while meeting the specific consistency requirements of each pattern.
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.
- ✗
Use strongly consistent reads for all read requests to ensure data accuracy.
Why it's wrong here
More expensive than necessary.
- ✗
Use DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX) to cache reads and achieve strong consistency.
Why it's wrong here
DAX provides eventually consistent caching, not strong consistency.
- ✗
Use DynamoDB global tables with strongly consistent reads enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Overkill and costly.
- ✓
Use strongly consistent reads for the pattern that requires it, and eventually consistent reads for the other pattern.
Why this is correct
Optimizes cost by using the cheaper eventually consistent reads when acceptable.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "primary", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
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 may assume DAX can provide strong consistency (it cannot) or that global tables are a solution for local consistency requirements, when in fact the correct approach is to use the native DynamoDB `ConsistentRead` parameter selectively based on the access pattern.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB stores data across three Availability Zones (AZs) in a region. A strongly consistent read reads from the leader partition, which has the latest write, while an eventually consistent read reads from any of the three replicas, which may lag by up to one second. The RCU cost difference is explicit: one strongly consistent read of an item up to 4 KB consumes 1 RCU, whereas one eventually consistent read of the same item consumes only 0.5 RCU. This cost model makes it critical to choose the appropriate consistency level per access pattern to optimize spend.
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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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use strongly consistent reads for the pattern that requires it, and eventually consistent reads for the other pattern. — Option D is correct because DynamoDB supports both strongly consistent reads and eventually consistent reads at the API level (via the `ConsistentRead` parameter). Strongly consistent reads return the most up-to-date data but consume twice the read capacity units (RCUs) compared to eventually consistent reads. By using strongly consistent reads only for the access pattern that requires it, and eventually consistent reads for the other pattern, the company minimizes RCU consumption and thus costs while meeting the specific consistency requirements of each pattern.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary", "minimum / minimize". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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