The answer is that the analyst lacks DESCRIBE permission on the Lake Formation table. While SELECT allows reading data, Athena must first read the table’s metadata—its schema, column names, and types—which requires explicit DESCRIBE permission on the table resource in Lake Formation. Without it, Athena cannot resolve the table structure even though the table is visible in the Glue Data Catalog (visibility is controlled by catalog-level DESCRIBE, which is separate). On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Lake Formation’s fine-grained permission model, where metadata operations are distinct from data operations. A common trap is assuming SELECT alone suffices, but Lake Formation enforces DESCRIBE as a prerequisite for any query engine. Memory tip: think “DESCRIBE before SELECT” — Athena needs to know what the table looks like before it can fetch the data.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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.
A company uses AWS Lake Formation to manage permissions on a data lake stored in S3. A data analyst reports that they can see a table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog but cannot query it using Amazon Athena. The analyst has been granted 'SELECT' permission on the table in Lake Formation. The table's underlying S3 location is encrypted with AWS KMS. The IAM role used by Athena has the necessary S3 and KMS permissions. What is the most likely reason for the failure?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The analyst does not have 'DESCRIBE' permission on the table.
Option B is correct because Lake Formation requires explicit grant of 'DESCRIBE' permission on the table for Athena to read metadata; SELECT alone is insufficient. Option A is wrong because the analyst can see the table, meaning DESCRIBE is granted at the catalog level. Option C is wrong because KMS permissions are already in place. Option D is wrong because Lake Formation is designed to work with Athena.
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.
✓
The analyst does not have 'DESCRIBE' permission on the table.
Why this is correct
Athena needs DESCRIBE on the table to retrieve metadata; without it, queries fail.
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.
✗
Athena is not integrated with Lake Formation.
Why it's wrong here
Athena integrates with Lake Formation natively.
✗
The KMS key policy does not allow the analyst's IAM role to decrypt.
Why it's wrong here
The IAM role has KMS permissions, so this is not the issue.
✗
The analyst does not have 'DESCRIBE' permission on the database.
Why it's wrong here
The analyst can see the table, so they have DESCRIBE on the database.
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 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.
Identify which DEA-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.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The analyst does not have 'DESCRIBE' permission on the table. — Option B is correct because Lake Formation requires explicit grant of 'DESCRIBE' permission on the table for Athena to read metadata; SELECT alone is insufficient. Option A is wrong because the analyst can see the table, meaning DESCRIBE is granted at the catalog level. Option C is wrong because KMS permissions are already in place. Option D is wrong because Lake Formation is designed to work with Athena.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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