- A
Increase the instance size of the primary RDS instance.
Why wrong: Vertical scaling helps but is not the only solution; it may also require downtime and does not address read-heavy workloads optimally.
- B
Create one or more Read Replicas in the same region and direct read traffic to them.
Read Replicas offload read queries from the primary, reducing its CPU load.
- C
Enable Amazon RDS Proxy to manage database connections.
Why wrong: RDS Proxy helps with connection management but does not reduce query load.
- D
Convert the RDS instance to a Multi-AZ deployment if not already.
Why wrong: Multi-AZ provides high availability but does not reduce CPU load on the primary.
- E
Implement an Amazon ElastiCache cluster to cache the results of frequently accessed queries.
Caching reduces the number of direct database queries, lowering CPU utilization.
Quick Answer
The answer is to implement an Amazon ElastiCache cluster and deploy Amazon RDS Read Replicas. These two solutions directly reduce high CPU utilization on the primary RDS MySQL instance without requiring any application code changes. ElastiCache offloads read-heavy workloads by caching the results of frequently accessed queries, while Read Replicas handle read traffic from the primary, distributing the database load. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between scaling strategies that avoid code modifications—a common trap is selecting Multi-AZ (which only provides failover, not read offloading) or RDS Proxy (which manages connections but does not reduce query CPU). Remember the memory tip: “Cache and Replicate, don’t just Migrate”—ElastiCache for hot data, Read Replicas for read scaling, and avoid confusing availability features with performance solutions.
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 Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The database experiences high CPU utilization during peak hours. The company wants to reduce the load on the primary database instance without making changes to the application code. Which TWO solutions should the solutions architect recommend?
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.
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
Create one or more Read Replicas in the same region and direct read traffic to them.
Options B and D are correct. Read Replicas can offload read traffic from the primary, reducing CPU utilization. Amazon ElastiCache caches frequent query results, reducing database queries. Option A is wrong because increasing instance size of the primary helps but is not the only solution and may require downtime. Option C is wrong because converting to Multi-AZ does not reduce read load; Multi-AZ is for failover. Option E is wrong because RDS Proxy helps with connection pooling but not CPU reduction from queries.
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.
- ✗
Increase the instance size of the primary RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
Vertical scaling helps but is not the only solution; it may also require downtime and does not address read-heavy workloads optimally.
- ✓
Create one or more Read Replicas in the same region and direct read traffic to them.
Why this is correct
Read Replicas offload read queries from the primary, reducing its CPU load.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Amazon RDS Proxy to manage database connections.
Why it's wrong here
RDS Proxy helps with connection management but does not reduce query load.
- ✗
Convert the RDS instance to a Multi-AZ deployment if not already.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-AZ provides high availability but does not reduce CPU load on the primary.
- ✓
Implement an Amazon ElastiCache cluster to cache the results of frequently accessed queries.
Why this is correct
Caching reduces the number of direct database queries, lowering CPU utilization.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" 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
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.
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Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — study guide chapter
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Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
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 in the same region and direct read traffic to them. — Options B and D are correct. Read Replicas can offload read traffic from the primary, reducing CPU utilization. Amazon ElastiCache caches frequent query results, reducing database queries. Option A is wrong because increasing instance size of the primary helps but is not the only solution and may require downtime. Option C is wrong because converting to Multi-AZ does not reduce read load; Multi-AZ is for failover. Option E is wrong because RDS Proxy helps with connection pooling but not CPU reduction from queries.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". 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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on SAP-C02
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 RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The database experiences a failover event. After the failover, the application team notices that the new primary DB instance has higher latency than expected. What is the most likely cause?
easy- A.The read replica in a different region is now serving traffic.
- B.The Multi-AZ configuration was disabled during the failover.
- ✓ C.A pending modification to the DB instance was applied during failover.
- D.The DB parameter group was changed to a less efficient configuration.
Why C: Option A is correct because the new primary may have a pending modification (e.g., scaling) applied during failover, causing a brief performance impact. Option B is incorrect because failover is automatic. Option C is incorrect because parameter group changes require a reboot, not failover. Option D is incorrect because Multi-AZ does not provide read replicas.
Variation 2. A company uses Amazon RDS for MySQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The database experiences occasional read replica lag of up to 5 seconds. The application requires read-after-write consistency. Which action should the company take to improve the solution?
medium- ✓ A.Modify the application to always read from the primary instance.
- B.Increase the number of read replicas to distribute the load.
- C.Implement Amazon ElastiCache to cache read results.
- D.Use Amazon RDS Proxy to route read queries to the read replica.
Why A: Option C is correct because reading from the primary instance ensures strong consistency. Option A is wrong because RDS Proxy does not eliminate read replica lag. Option B is wrong because adding more read replicas does not solve consistency. Option D is wrong because ElastiCache is for caching, not consistency.
Variation 3. A company is using Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL with Multi-AZ deployment. The database experiences high write latency during peak hours. The solutions architect suggests using an RDS read replica to offload read traffic. Which THREE steps are necessary to implement this solution?
easy- A.Ensure the read replica is in the same Availability Zone as the primary.
- ✓ B.Create a read replica from the source DB instance.
- ✓ C.Modify the application to send read-only queries to the read replica endpoint.
- D.Enable Multi-AZ on the read replica.
- ✓ E.Configure the read replica to be in a different Availability Zone for high availability.
Why B: Options A, B, and D are correct. Create a read replica (A) from the source DB instance. Modify the application to use the read replica endpoint for read queries (B). Ensure the read replica is in a different AZ for high availability (D). Option C is wrong because read replicas do not need to be in the same AZ. Option E is wrong because Multi-AZ is for the source instance, not the read replica.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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