The correct approach is to enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a timestamp column as the bookmark key to read only incremental data, effectively implementing change data capture from RDS to S3. This works because Glue job bookmarks track previously processed rows based on a designated column—such as last_updated—so subsequent runs skip unchanged records, drastically reducing job duration. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of incremental processing patterns versus full table scans; a common trap is choosing to increase workers or add partitioning, which still reads the entire dataset. Remember that CDC via Glue bookmarks or AWS DMS is purpose-built for efficient, periodic ingestion of changed records from RDS to S3. Memory tip: “Bookmark the timestamp, skip the past.”
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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.
A data engineer is ingesting data from an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database into Amazon S3 using AWS Glue. The Glue job reads the entire table each time it runs, which takes several hours. The team wants to reduce the job duration by reading only new or updated records. Which approach should the engineer adopt?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data.
The correct answer is to enable Change Data Capture (CDC) using AWS DMS or enable PostgreSQL logical replication and use Glue with bookmark keys. Glue job bookmarks can track processed data if a column (like last_updated) is used. Option B (increasing workers) does not solve reading all data. Option C (partitioning) reduces data per run but still reads entire table. Option D (using Kinesis) is real-time but overkill for periodic ingestion.
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.
✓
Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data.
Why this is correct
Glue bookmarks track processed records; using a timestamp column allows incremental reads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Partition the table in the source database by date and read only the latest partition.
Why it's wrong here
Partitioning helps but still reads the entire partition; not incremental if updates exist.
✗
Increase the number of Glue workers to improve parallel reads.
Why it's wrong here
Speeds up full reads but does not reduce data volume; still reads entire table.
✗
Use Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to capture changes from PostgreSQL.
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis requires additional setup (e.g., Kinesis adapter) and is for real-time, not batch.
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable job bookmarks in AWS Glue and use a column with timestamps as the bookmark key to read only incremental data. — The correct answer is to enable Change Data Capture (CDC) using AWS DMS or enable PostgreSQL logical replication and use Glue with bookmark keys. Glue job bookmarks can track processed data if a column (like last_updated) is used. Option B (increasing workers) does not solve reading all data. Option C (partitioning) reduces data per run but still reads entire table. Option D (using Kinesis) is real-time but overkill for periodic ingestion.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data engineer needs to ingest data from an Amazon RDS MySQL database into a data lake on Amazon S3. The engineer wants to perform an initial full load and then capture incremental changes. Which TWO AWS services can be combined to achieve this?
easy
A.Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
B.AWS Glue
✓ C.Amazon S3
✓ D.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
E.AWS Data Pipeline
Why C: AWS DMS can do full load and CDC. S3 can be the target. Option B is wrong because Glue does not support CDC from MySQL directly. Option C is wrong because Firehose doesn't connect to MySQL. Option D is wrong because Data Pipeline does not support CDC.
Variation 2. A data engineer needs to ingest data from an Amazon RDS for MySQL database into Amazon S3 on a daily basis. The data volume is about 50 GB per day. The engineer wants to minimize the impact on the source database. Which AWS service should be used?
medium
A.AWS Glue with a JDBC connection
B.Amazon Athena Federated Query
✓ C.AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
D.AWS DataSync
Why C: Option D is correct because AWS DMS can perform full load and ongoing replication with minimal impact. Option A is wrong because Glue's JDBC connection can impact the source. Option B is wrong because DataSync is for file storage. Option C is wrong because Athena cannot read from RDS directly.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C01 exam.
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