DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A data engineer is troubleshooting an issue where an Amazon Redshift query returns an error: 'ERROR: permission denied for relation table_name'. The user has been granted SELECT on the table. What is the most likely cause?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The user does not have USAGE permission on the schema.
In Amazon Redshift, to access a table, a user must have USAGE permission on the schema containing the table, in addition to SELECT or other table-level permissions. Without USAGE on the schema, the user receives a 'permission denied for relation' error even if SELECT is granted. Option D is correct. Option A (session timeout) would cause a different error or disconnection. Option B (no CONNECT permission) would prevent connecting to the database. Option C (wrong schema) would result in a 'schema not found' error, not a permission denied error.
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 user's session has timed out.
Why it's wrong here
A timed-out session produces a connection or authentication failure, not a relation-level permission error; the query would not reach permission checking. It is tempting because session expiry is a common Redshift annoyance, but it applies when reconnecting is needed, not when SELECT has been granted yet denied.
- ✗
The user does not have CONNECT permission on the database.
Why it's wrong here
Without CONNECT on the database the user cannot log in or run any query at all, so the failure would occur before reaching the table. It is tempting because CONNECT is a prerequisite permission, but the stem shows the query executing and failing specifically on the relation.
- ✗
The table is in a different schema than expected.
Why it's wrong here
If the table sits in another schema, the unqualified name resolves elsewhere or fails to resolve, and SELECT granted on the intended table does not apply. It is tempting because search_path issues are common, but the error names the relation, indicating the table was found and permission was checked.
- ✓
The user does not have USAGE permission on the schema.
Why this is correct
Redshift requires USAGE on the containing schema before SELECT on a table is honoured. Without schema USAGE, the query fails with permission denied even though SELECT was granted, making the missing schema-level privilege the most likely cause.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.