Quick Answer
The answer is to create one or more Read Replicas in the same region. This is the most effective way to improve RDS read performance because Read Replicas offload read-heavy traffic from the primary database instance, allowing it to focus on writes while replicas handle SELECT queries. Since the application can tolerate eventual consistency, the asynchronous replication lag inherent to Read Replicas is acceptable, making this a zero-architectural-change solution. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of when to scale reads horizontally versus vertically—a common trap is choosing Multi-AZ (which only provides failover, not read scaling) or caching layers that require application rewrites. Remember the mnemonic: “Reads need Replicas, writes need Multi-AZ” to avoid confusing high availability with read performance.
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 runs a critical application on Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The database experiences high read traffic. The application is read-heavy and can tolerate eventual consistency for some queries. What is the MOST effective way to improve read performance without significant architectural changes?
Enable Multi-AZ deployment for failover.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling.
Create one or more Read Replicas in the same region.
Read Replicas handle read queries, reducing load on primary.
Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache frequent queries.
Why wrong: Requires application changes to use cache.
Upgrade to a larger instance type.
Why wrong: Increases cost without utilizing read replicas.
Answer choices
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 in the same region.
Option B is correct because creating Read Replicas offloads read traffic from the primary instance. Option A increases cost unnecessarily, C requires application changes, and D does not directly improve read performance.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Enable Multi-AZ deployment for failover.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling.
Create one or more Read Replicas in the same region.
Why this is correct
Read Replicas handle read queries, reducing load on primary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Use Amazon ElastiCache to cache frequent queries.
Why it's wrong here
Requires application changes to use cache.
Upgrade to a larger instance type.
Why it's wrong here
Increases cost without utilizing read replicas.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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.
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FAQ
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Create one or more Read Replicas in the same region. — Option B is correct because creating Read Replicas offloads read traffic from the primary instance. Option A increases cost unnecessarily, C requires application changes, and D does not directly improve read performance.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
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Variation 1. A company runs a critical application on Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. The database performance has degraded over time. The Solutions Architect notices that read queries are slow and the DB instance's ReadIOPS metric is consistently high. Which action would improve read performance with minimal operational overhead?
mediumWhy D: Option A is correct because adding a read replica distributes read traffic off the primary instance, reducing ReadIOPS and improving query performance. Option B is wrong because increasing storage size does not directly improve IOPS or read performance. Option C is wrong because Multi-AZ is for high availability, not read scaling. Option D is wrong because switching to a different engine is unnecessary and would require application changes.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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