The correct answer is to enable read scale-out, which offloads read-only workloads to a secondary replica to improve read performance in Azure SQL Database without changing compute size. This works by directing reporting or analytical queries to a read-only replica, freeing the primary replica’s resources for transactional workloads and reducing latency. On the DP-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of Azure SQL Database’s architecture and service-tier limitations—specifically that read scale-out is only available in Premium and Business Critical tiers, not General Purpose. The trap is that while the feature itself is the right concept for improving read performance, the scenario’s General Purpose tier makes it technically unsupported, so you must recognize the tier constraint. A common memory tip: “Read scale-out needs Premium clout—General Purpose can’t route.”
DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and implement data platform resources. 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.
Your Azure SQL Database is running in the General Purpose tier. You notice that read queries are experiencing high latency. You need to improve read performance without changing the compute size. What should you implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable read scale-out
Read scale-out in Azure SQL Database allows you to offload read-only queries to a secondary replica, reducing latency on the primary replica without changing the compute size. This feature is available in the Premium and Business Critical service tiers, but not in General Purpose. Since the question specifies the General Purpose tier, enabling read scale-out is not actually supported, making this a trick scenario. However, among the given options, enabling read scale-out is the only one that directly addresses read latency by leveraging a read-only replica, even though it requires a tier change to Premium or Business Critical.
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.
✗
Upgrade to the Hyperscale service tier
Why it's wrong here
Hyperscale improves performance but is a different tier, not the same compute size.
✓
Enable read scale-out
Why this is correct
Read scale-out directs read-only queries to a readable secondary, reducing load on the primary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create columnstore indexes on the tables
Why it's wrong here
Columnstore indexes can improve query performance but do not offload reads to a different replica.
✗
Use in-memory OLTP for the tables
Why it's wrong here
In-memory OLTP is for high-concurrency transactional workloads, not general read performance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume read scale-out is available in all service tiers, but it is only supported in Premium and Business Critical, not in General Purpose, making the correct answer technically unfeasible under the given constraints.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Read scale-out works by routing read-only queries to a readable secondary replica using the ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly connection string parameter. In the Premium and Business Critical tiers, Azure SQL Database automatically provides a readable secondary replica; in General Purpose, no such replica exists, so the feature is unavailable. This architecture is based on Always On Availability Groups, where the secondary replica can handle read-only workloads without impacting primary replica performance.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-300 question in full detail.
Plan and implement data platform resources — This question tests Plan and implement data platform resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable read scale-out — Read scale-out in Azure SQL Database allows you to offload read-only queries to a secondary replica, reducing latency on the primary replica without changing the compute size. This feature is available in the Premium and Business Critical service tiers, but not in General Purpose. Since the question specifies the General Purpose tier, enabling read scale-out is not actually supported, making this a trick scenario. However, among the given options, enabling read scale-out is the only one that directly addresses read latency by leveraging a read-only replica, even though it requires a tier change to Premium or Business Critical.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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