DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
A data engineer needs to grant an IAM user read-only access to an S3 bucket named 'data-lake-bucket'. Which IAM policy statement should be attached to the user?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse 'read-only access' with just s3:GetObject, forgetting that listing objects (s3:ListBucket) is typically needed for practical read-only use, but the question specifically asks for read-only access to the bucket, not listing, so s3:GetObject alone suffices for the stated requirement.
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
✓
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket/*"}
It grants read-only access by allowing only the s3:GetObject action, which permits downloading objects from the bucket. The resource ARN includes the wildcard /* to cover all objects within 'data-lake-bucket', ensuring the user can read but not list or modify data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket/*"}
Why this is correct
Read-only access to objects.
- ✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:ListBucket","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket"}
Why it's wrong here
Only list bucket, not read objects.
- ✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:PutObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket/*"}
Why it's wrong here
Allows write, not read.
- ✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:*","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket/*"}
Why it's wrong here
Allows all S3 actions, including write and delete.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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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.