Quick Answer
The answer is the Amazon Redshift COPY command, which is the simplest ingestion method for loading CSV data from S3 into an existing Redshift table. This command directly reads files from an S3 bucket and maps them to the target table columns with minimal configuration—just specify the S3 path, IAM role, and CSV format options like DELIMITER or IGNOREHEADER. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between batch and streaming services: Kinesis Data Firehose is for real-time ingestion, AWS Glue is overkill for a simple CSV load, and DMS is designed for database migrations, not flat-file imports. A common trap is overcomplicating the solution with Glue jobs when the COPY command handles the task natively. Memory tip: think “COPY = CSV Only, Plainly Yours” to remember it’s the direct, no-frills choice for batch CSV ingestion from S3.
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 needs to ingest data from an Amazon S3 bucket into Amazon Redshift for analytics. The data is in CSV format and the Redshift table already exists. Which service can be used to perform this ingestion with minimal configuration?
AWS Glue
Why wrong: Glue is a full ETL service, but the COPY command is simpler for this task.
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why wrong: Firehose is for streaming ingestion, not batch loading into Redshift.
Amazon Redshift COPY command
The COPY command loads data from S3 into Redshift efficiently.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why wrong: DMS is for migrating databases, not loading files into Redshift.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Redshift COPY command
Option C is correct because Redshift COPY command can directly load data from S3. Option A is wrong because Kinesis Data Firehose is for streaming, not batch. Option B is wrong because Glue is overkill. Option D is wrong because DMS is for database migration.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Glue
Why it's wrong here
Glue is a full ETL service, but the COPY command is simpler for this task.
Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose
Why it's wrong here
Firehose is for streaming ingestion, not batch loading into Redshift.
Amazon Redshift COPY command
Why this is correct
The COPY command loads data from S3 into Redshift efficiently.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for migrating databases, not loading files into Redshift.
Common exam traps
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Glue is a full ETL service, but the COPY command is simpler for this task.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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 — study guide chapter
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Data Ingestion and Transformation practice questions
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FAQ
Data Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon Redshift COPY command — Option C is correct because Redshift COPY command can directly load data from S3. Option A is wrong because Kinesis Data Firehose is for streaming, not batch. Option B is wrong because Glue is overkill. Option D is wrong because DMS is for database migration.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
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 S3 bucket into an Amazon Redshift table on a daily schedule. The data is in CSV format and the schema matches. Which service is simplest for this batch ingestion?
easyWhy A: Redshift COPY command loads from S3 efficiently. Glue and Data Pipeline also work but are more complex. Athena is for querying, not loading.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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