- A
Migrate the database to Amazon Aurora with PostgreSQL compatibility using the AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why wrong: Aurora PostgreSQL is a different database engine; stored procedures may need to be rewritten, increasing code changes.
- B
Store the data in Amazon S3 and use Athena for querying
Why wrong: S3 and Athena are suitable for analytics, not for transactional OLTP workloads with stored procedures.
- C
Refactor the application to use Amazon DynamoDB as the database
Why wrong: DynamoDB is NoSQL and requires significant application changes, which contradicts the requirement to minimize code changes.
- D
Replatform the application by migrating the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle
Migrating to RDS for Oracle preserves the existing SQL dialect and stored procedures, minimizing code changes while leveraging managed database services.
Quick Answer
The answer is to replatform the application by migrating the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. This is correct because replatforming—often called “lift and shift” or “rehosting” with minimal modification—keeps the same Oracle database engine, allowing the existing complex stored procedures and SQL dialect to run unchanged on RDS. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of migration strategies that prioritize code preservation over re-architecting, especially when dealing with legacy Oracle dependencies. A common trap is to choose a re-architecture to Aurora or a different engine, which would require rewriting stored procedures and break the “minimize code changes” requirement. Remember the memory tip: “Same engine, same code—RDS Oracle is the replatforming road.”
PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. 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 is migrating a legacy monolithic application to a microservices architecture on AWS. The application currently uses an Oracle database with complex stored procedures. The company wants to minimize changes to the application code during migration. Which database migration strategy should the company use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
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
Replatform the application by migrating the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle
Option D is correct because the company wants to minimize changes to the application code during migration. By replatforming the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle, the application can continue to use the same Oracle database engine, stored procedures, and SQL dialect with minimal or no code changes. This approach avoids the need to rewrite complex stored procedures or adapt to a different database engine, which would be required with other migration strategies.
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.
- ✗
Migrate the database to Amazon Aurora with PostgreSQL compatibility using the AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why it's wrong here
Aurora PostgreSQL is a different database engine; stored procedures may need to be rewritten, increasing code changes.
- ✗
Store the data in Amazon S3 and use Athena for querying
Why it's wrong here
S3 and Athena are suitable for analytics, not for transactional OLTP workloads with stored procedures.
- ✗
Refactor the application to use Amazon DynamoDB as the database
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB is NoSQL and requires significant application changes, which contradicts the requirement to minimize code changes.
- ✓
Replatform the application by migrating the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle
Why this is correct
Migrating to RDS for Oracle preserves the existing SQL dialect and stored procedures, minimizing code changes while leveraging managed database services.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "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 any AWS-managed database service (like Aurora or DynamoDB) is automatically better, overlooking the critical requirement to minimize code changes by keeping the same database engine.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Replatforming (also known as 'lift and shift' or 'rehosting') to Amazon RDS for Oracle preserves the Oracle database engine, allowing the application to use the same PL/SQL stored procedures, triggers, and packages without modification. Amazon RDS for Oracle supports Oracle Database features such as Oracle Data Guard for high availability and Oracle Enterprise Manager for monitoring, enabling a seamless migration with minimal refactoring. In real-world scenarios, this strategy is often chosen when the application has deeply embedded database dependencies (e.g., thousands of lines of PL/SQL code) that would be prohibitively expensive to rewrite.
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 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
Technology — This question tests Technology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Replatform the application by migrating the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle — Option D is correct because the company wants to minimize changes to the application code during migration. By replatforming the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle, the application can continue to use the same Oracle database engine, stored procedures, and SQL dialect with minimal or no code changes. This approach avoids the need to rewrite complex stored procedures or adapt to a different database engine, which would be required with other migration strategies.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This PAS-C01 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 PAS-C01 exam.
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