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.
An SAP administrator notices that the SAP HANA database on an r5.8xlarge instance is experiencing high swap usage. The instance has 256 GB of RAM. The SAP HANA memory usage is 200 GB. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The instance memory is exhausted
Why wrong: 200 GB usage on 256 GB leaves 56 GB free, so memory is not exhausted.
HANA is using huge pages instead of swap
Why wrong: Huge pages reduce swap usage, not increase it.
The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
HANA recommends swap equal to RAM; 256 GB swap is needed.
Swap is disabled on the instance
Why wrong: Swap is typically enabled by default on AWS instances.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
Option C is correct because SAP HANA requires a swap space equal to at least the amount of RAM for HANA to function correctly during memory overcommit scenarios. Option A is incorrect because 200 GB is within the 256 GB RAM limit, so memory is not exhausted. Option B is incorrect because swap is not disabled by default. Option D is incorrect because HANA typically uses huge pages, not swap, for memory allocation.
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.
The instance memory is exhausted
Why it's wrong here
200 GB usage on 256 GB leaves 56 GB free, so memory is not exhausted.
HANA is using huge pages instead of swap
Why it's wrong here
Huge pages reduce swap usage, not increase it.
The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
Why this is correct
HANA recommends swap equal to RAM; 256 GB swap is needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Swap is disabled on the instance
Why it's wrong here
Swap is typically enabled by default on AWS instances.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which PAS-C01 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.
Technology — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Technology practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All PAS-C01 questions
1,733 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
PAS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Design of SAP Workloads on AWS.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Technology.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Migration.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Operations and Maintenance.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to PAS-C01 fundamentals.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to PAS-C01 scenario.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to PAS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Technology — This question tests Technology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The swap space is too small for the HANA workload — Option C is correct because SAP HANA requires a swap space equal to at least the amount of RAM for HANA to function correctly during memory overcommit scenarios. Option A is incorrect because 200 GB is within the 256 GB RAM limit, so memory is not exhausted. Option B is incorrect because swap is not disabled by default. Option D is incorrect because HANA typically uses huge pages, not swap, for memory allocation.
Identify which PAS-C01 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.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.