- A
Configure S3 Intelligent-Tiering on both prefixes with automatic archiving to Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days in raw and deletion after 365 days in curated.
Why wrong: Intelligent-Tiering may not enforce exact days and can incur monitoring costs.
- B
Create separate lifecycle policies for each prefix: one to transition raw to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, another to delete curated after 365 days.
Why wrong: Separate policies are unnecessary; a single policy can handle both.
- C
Create a lifecycle policy that transitions raw zone data to S3 Standard-IA after 90 days and deletes curated zone data after 365 days.
Why wrong: Standard-IA is not the cheapest for deep archival; Glacier Deep Archive is cheaper.
- D
Create a single lifecycle policy with two rules: one to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, and another to delete curated zone objects after 365 days.
This meets cost and retention requirements efficiently.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a single lifecycle policy with two rules: one to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, and another to delete curated zone objects after 365 days. This is correct because a single S3 lifecycle policy can contain multiple rules, each targeting different prefixes or tags, allowing you to apply distinct actions—like tiering to cold storage versus expiration—to different data zones without the overhead of managing separate policies. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this tests your understanding that lifecycle rules are evaluated per object based on creation date, and a common trap is assuming you need separate policies for each prefix or action. Remember the memory tip: one policy, many rules—prefixes keep them separate, cost stays low.
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 engineering team is designing a data lake on Amazon S3 with a folder structure that separates raw, transformed, and curated data. The team needs to implement lifecycle policies to minimize storage costs while ensuring that data in the 'raw' zone is retained for 90 days before being moved to Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive. Additionally, data in the 'curated' zone should be deleted after 365 days. What is the MOST cost-effective way to achieve these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Create a single lifecycle policy with two rules: one to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, and another to delete curated zone objects after 365 days.
Option D is correct because a single S3 lifecycle policy can contain multiple rules, each applying to different prefixes. This allows you to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days and delete curated zone objects after 365 days, minimizing storage costs without needing separate policies. S3 lifecycle policies are evaluated per object based on creation date, and using one policy reduces management overhead.
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.
- ✗
Configure S3 Intelligent-Tiering on both prefixes with automatic archiving to Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days in raw and deletion after 365 days in curated.
Why it's wrong here
Intelligent-Tiering may not enforce exact days and can incur monitoring costs.
- ✗
Create separate lifecycle policies for each prefix: one to transition raw to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, another to delete curated after 365 days.
Why it's wrong here
Separate policies are unnecessary; a single policy can handle both.
- ✗
Create a lifecycle policy that transitions raw zone data to S3 Standard-IA after 90 days and deletes curated zone data after 365 days.
Why it's wrong here
Standard-IA is not the cheapest for deep archival; Glacier Deep Archive is cheaper.
- ✓
Create a single lifecycle policy with two rules: one to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, and another to delete curated zone objects after 365 days.
Why this is correct
This meets cost and retention requirements efficiently.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates might think separate lifecycle policies are required for different prefixes, but AWS allows multiple rules within a single policy, making it more cost-effective and easier to manage than creating separate policies.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 lifecycle policies use actions like 'Transition' and 'Expiration' that operate on object age (days since creation). The transition to Glacier Deep Archive requires a minimum of 180 days for objects smaller than 128 KB, but for larger objects, the 90-day rule is valid. In real-world scenarios, teams often combine multiple rules in one policy to avoid hitting the 1,000-policy-per-bucket limit and to simplify auditing of data retention rules.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Data Store Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a single lifecycle policy with two rules: one to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days, and another to delete curated zone objects after 365 days. — Option D is correct because a single S3 lifecycle policy can contain multiple rules, each applying to different prefixes. This allows you to transition raw zone objects to S3 Glacier Deep Archive after 90 days and delete curated zone objects after 365 days, minimizing storage costs without needing separate policies. S3 lifecycle policies are evaluated per object based on creation date, and using one policy reduces management overhead.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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