The answer is to provision more IOPS on the EBS volumes. High EBS queue depth indicates that the volume’s provisioned IOPS are insufficient for the workload, causing I/O requests to pile up as the system waits for completion. By increasing the allocated IOPS, you directly raise the volume’s performance ceiling, allowing it to process more requests per second and reducing the queue depth, which in turn improves SAP system responsiveness during peak hours. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how EBS performance metrics—especially queue depth—relate to SAP’s I/O sensitivity; a common trap is assuming larger volume size or instance type alone will fix the issue, but only IOPS provisioning directly addresses the bottleneck. Memory tip: think “queue = waiting, IOPS = speed”—more IOPS clears the line faster.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 system on AWS is experiencing performance issues during peak hours. The operations team notices that the EBS volumes are consistently showing high queue depth. What should they do to improve performance?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Provision more IOPS on the EBS volumes.
Option B is correct. Increasing IOPS provisioning can reduce queue depth. Option A is incorrect because larger volume size alone may not improve IOPS. Option C is incorrect because switching to Throughput Optimized HDD is for throughput, not IOPS. Option D is incorrect because instance size change alone may not fix EBS queue depth.
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.
✗
Change the EC2 instance type to a larger one.
Why it's wrong here
Instance type affects network and compute, but not EBS queue depth directly.
✓
Provision more IOPS on the EBS volumes.
Why this is correct
Provisioned IOPS can directly reduce queue depth.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change the EBS volume type to Throughput Optimized HDD (st1).
Why it's wrong here
st1 is for throughput workloads, not low-latency IOPS.
✗
Increase the size of the EBS volumes.
Why it's wrong here
Larger volumes have higher baseline IOPS, but not always sufficient.
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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Provision more IOPS on the EBS volumes. — Option B is correct. Increasing IOPS provisioning can reduce queue depth. Option A is incorrect because larger volume size alone may not improve IOPS. Option C is incorrect because switching to Throughput Optimized HDD is for throughput, not IOPS. Option D is incorrect because instance size change alone may not fix EBS queue depth.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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