The correct action is to increase the provisioned IOPS for the EBS volumes. This directly addresses high disk I/O latency because a consistently elevated Average Queue Length indicates that the volume’s current IOPS capacity is insufficient to handle the SAP workload’s request rate, causing requests to pile up in the queue. By raising the provisioned IOPS, you increase the volume’s ability to process I/O operations per second, which reduces queue depth and lowers latency. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of EBS performance metrics and the distinction between IOPS and throughput—a common trap is confusing high queue length with a need for more throughput (which would point to st1 volumes) or larger volume size (which only helps gp2 burst credits). Remember: queue length is an IOPS problem, not a size or throughput problem. Memory tip: “Queue = IOPS queue, so provision more IOPS to cut the queue.”
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 is experiencing high disk I/O latency. The operations team checks the Amazon CloudWatch metrics and finds that the Average Queue Length for the EBS volumes is consistently above the recommended threshold. Which action should be taken to address this issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Increase the provisioned IOPS for the EBS volumes.
Option A is correct because increasing IOPS reduces queue length. Option B is wrong because increasing volume size may not increase IOPS if gp2 volumes are used (size affects burst credits). Option C is wrong because converting to st1 is for throughput, not IOPS. Option D is wrong because enabling encryption does not affect performance.
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 volume type to Throughput Optimized HDD (st1).
Why it's wrong here
st1 is for throughput, not low latency.
✓
Increase the provisioned IOPS for the EBS volumes.
Why this is correct
Higher IOPS can handle more requests, reducing queue length.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable EBS encryption to improve I/O performance.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption adds overhead, not performance improvement.
✗
Increase the volume size to improve I/O performance.
Why it's wrong here
For gp2, larger size increases baseline IOPS, but not as effective as provisioned IOPS.
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: Increase the provisioned IOPS for the EBS volumes. — Option A is correct because increasing IOPS reduces queue length. Option B is wrong because increasing volume size may not increase IOPS if gp2 volumes are used (size affects burst credits). Option C is wrong because converting to st1 is for throughput, not IOPS. Option D is wrong because enabling encryption does not affect performance.
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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