The answer is to create one or more read replicas and direct read traffic to them. This is correct because read replicas offload read-heavy queries from the primary RDS MySQL instance, directly reducing CPU utilization and read IOPS without requiring any application code changes—the database layer simply absorbs the read load. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of scaling read-heavy workloads in a cost-effective, non-disruptive way, often as a distractor against Multi-AZ (which is for high availability, not read scaling) or resizing the instance (which can cause downtime). A common trap is confusing Multi-AZ with read scaling; remember that Multi-AZ provides a standby for failover, not a read endpoint. For a memory tip, think "read replicas for read relief"—they are the go-to solution when you need to improve RDS MySQL read-heavy performance without application changes.
SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 financial services company uses Amazon RDS for MySQL as the backend for a trading application. The application runs on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group behind an ALB. The database is a Multi-AZ DB instance with 500 GB provisioned storage. During peak trading hours, the application becomes slow. The RDS metrics show high CPU utilization and high read IOPS. The application performs many read-heavy queries. The team needs to improve performance without application changes. 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
✓
Create one or more read replicas and direct read traffic to them.
Option C is correct. Adding read replicas offloads read traffic from the primary instance, reducing CPU and IOPS load. Option A: Increasing instance size helps but may require downtime. Option B: Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling. Option D: Enabling Performance Insights provides monitoring but does not directly improve performance.
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 one or more read replicas and direct read traffic to them.
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload read queries, reducing load on the primary instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Modify the DB instance to a larger instance type with more vCPUs.
Why it's wrong here
Scaling up requires a reboot, causing downtime, and may not be sufficient.
✗
Enable Performance Insights and create a CloudWatch dashboard.
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring helps identify issues but does not directly reduce load.
✗
Convert the DB instance to a Multi-AZ cluster with two readable standbys.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ cluster standbys are not used for reads in MySQL.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Create one or more read replicas and direct read traffic to them. — Option C is correct. Adding read replicas offloads read traffic from the primary instance, reducing CPU and IOPS load. Option A: Increasing instance size helps but may require downtime. Option B: Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling. Option D: Enabling Performance Insights provides monitoring but does not directly improve performance.
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.
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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.
Question Discussion
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