The correct actions are to add read replicas and increase the DB instance size, as these directly improve RDS read performance with minimal application changes. Read replicas offload SELECT queries from the primary instance, reducing read latency by distributing the workload, while scaling up the instance class (e.g., from db.r5.large to db.r5.xlarge) boosts I/O throughput and CPU capacity without altering the application code. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between performance scaling and high availability—a common trap is confusing Multi-AZ (which only provides failover) with read scaling. Remember that read replicas are for read-heavy workloads, not writes, and instance size upgrades address resource bottlenecks directly. A useful memory tip: “Replicas for reads, size for speed—Multi-AZ is for when you bleed.”
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 company uses an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance. The database is experiencing high read latency. The team wants to improve read performance with minimal application changes. Which TWO actions should the team take? (Choose two.)
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 queries to them.
Options A and C are correct. Option A: Read replicas offload read traffic from the primary instance, reducing latency. Option C: Increasing instance size (e.g., moving to a larger instance class) can improve I/O performance. Option B is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read performance. Option D is wrong because increasing max_connections does not improve read latency. Option E is wrong because switching to Aurora is a major change and may not be minimal.
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 queries to them.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable Multi-AZ deployment for failover support.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ is for availability, not read performance.
✗
Migrate the database to Amazon Aurora.
Why it's wrong here
Migration is a significant change and may not be minimal.
✗
Increase the max_connections parameter.
Why it's wrong here
More connections do not reduce read latency.
✓
Increase the DB instance size (e.g., from db.r5.large to db.r5.xlarge).
Why this is correct
Larger instances provide better I/O performance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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 queries to them. — Options A and C are correct. Option A: Read replicas offload read traffic from the primary instance, reducing latency. Option C: Increasing instance size (e.g., moving to a larger instance class) can improve I/O performance. Option B is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read performance. Option D is wrong because increasing max_connections does not improve read latency. Option E is wrong because switching to Aurora is a major change and may not be minimal.
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 has an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database that is experiencing high CPU utilization due to a large number of read queries. They need to offload read traffic and improve performance. Which TWO actions should they take? (Choose TWO.)
medium
A.Enable Multi-AZ deployment for the database.
✓ B.Create one or more read replicas in the same Region.
C.Increase the instance size of the primary database.
D.Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache query results.
✓ E.Implement an RDS Proxy to manage connections.
Why B: Options A and D are correct. A: Creating a read replica offloads read queries from the primary database. D: Using an RDS Proxy allows connection pooling, reducing overhead. Option B is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling. Option C is wrong because increasing instance size can help but is often more expensive than read replicas. Option E is wrong because ElastiCache is for caching data, not for offloading database queries directly.
Variation 2. A company uses Amazon RDS for MySQL for its database. The operations team notices that read queries are slow during peak hours. The application is read-heavy and can tolerate eventual consistency. Which solution would improve read performance with minimal application changes?
easy
A.Increase the DB instance class to a larger size.
B.Enable Multi-AZ deployment for failover support.
C.Enable RDS Proxy to pool database connections.
✓ D.Create an RDS read replica and direct read traffic to it.
Why D: Option B is correct because creating a read replica offloads read traffic from the primary instance, improving read performance. Option A is wrong because increasing the DB instance size may help but is more expensive and not as targeted. Option C is wrong because RDS Proxy is for connection pooling, not read scaling. Option D is wrong because Multi-AZ provides high availability, not read scaling.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
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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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