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 data engineer has attached the IAM policy shown in the exhibit to a role used by an AWS Glue ETL job. The job fails when trying to write to the S3 bucket 'example-bucket' with the error: 'Access Denied'. What is the MOST likely reason?
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 S3 bucket policy denies the PutObject action for the role.
Option C is correct because the Glue job's IAM role may not have permission to call the s3:PutObject action, but the error could also be due to the bucket policy denying access. However, the policy shown allows s3:PutObject on the bucket. The most common issue is that the Glue job's role does not have the necessary trust policy or the bucket policy blocks the request. But based on the exhibit, the policy appears correct. The error could be due to missing permissions on the Glue job's execution role. Option A is incorrect because the policy includes s3:PutObject. Option B is incorrect because the policy includes the bucket ARN. Option D is incorrect because the error is access denied, not a bucket policy issue. Actually, the correct answer is that the role may also need s3:PutObject on the bucket itself (not just objects) for certain operations like multipart uploads. But the most likely reason is that the bucket policy denies the request. Given the exhibit, the IAM policy is correct, so the issue is likely the bucket policy. Option C is the best answer.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 IAM policy does not include the bucket ARN for write operations.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes the bucket ARN for ListBucket and object ARN for Get/Put.
✗
The IAM role's trust policy does not allow Glue to assume the role.
Why it's wrong here
A trust policy issue would cause an assume role error, not access denied on S3.
✓
The S3 bucket policy denies the PutObject action for the role.
Why this is correct
A bucket policy can explicitly deny access even if IAM allows it.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The IAM policy does not grant s3:PutObject permission.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes s3:PutObject.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DEA-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The S3 bucket policy denies the PutObject action for the role. — Option C is correct because the Glue job's IAM role may not have permission to call the s3:PutObject action, but the error could also be due to the bucket policy denying access. However, the policy shown allows s3:PutObject on the bucket. The most common issue is that the Glue job's role does not have the necessary trust policy or the bucket policy blocks the request. But based on the exhibit, the policy appears correct. The error could be due to missing permissions on the Glue job's execution role. Option A is incorrect because the policy includes s3:PutObject. Option B is incorrect because the policy includes the bucket ARN. Option D is incorrect because the error is access denied, not a bucket policy issue. Actually, the correct answer is that the role may also need s3:PutObject on the bucket itself (not just objects) for certain operations like multipart uploads. But the most likely reason is that the bucket policy denies the request. Given the exhibit, the IAM policy is correct, so the issue is likely the bucket policy. Option C is the best answer.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DEA-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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