The correct answer is that a partition was manually added to the Glue Data Catalog that already exists. This error occurs because Amazon Athena relies on the Glue Data Catalog for partition metadata, and when you run an ALTER TABLE ADD PARTITION command for a partition that is already registered—for example, a specific year/month/day folder—the catalog rejects the duplicate entry, raising the HIVE_PATH_ALREADY_EXISTS error. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Athena interacts with the Glue Data Catalog, specifically around partition management and idempotency. A common trap is confusing this with schema mismatch or permission issues, but the core concept is that the Glue Catalog enforces unique partition paths. To remember this, think of it as a “no double-booking” rule: you cannot add a partition that is already on the calendar in the Glue Catalog.
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 company is using Amazon Athena to query data in an S3 bucket. Queries are failing with the error 'HIVE_PATH_ALREADY_EXISTS'. The data is partitioned by year, month, day. What is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A partition was manually added to the Glue Data Catalog that already exists
Option C is correct because the error occurs when a partition is already registered in the Glue Data Catalog and a new ALTER TABLE ADD PARTITION tries to add it again. Option A would cause schema mismatch. Option B would cause permission error. Option D would cause file not found.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
A partition was manually added to the Glue Data Catalog that already exists
Why this is correct
Attempting to add a duplicate partition causes this error.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The data format in the partition is inconsistent with the table schema
Why it's wrong here
This would cause data type errors, not path already exists.
✗
The S3 location for the partition is empty
Why it's wrong here
Empty partitions are allowed; error would be different.
✗
The IAM role used by Athena lacks s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket
Why it's wrong here
This would cause access denied, not HIVE_PATH_ALREADY_EXISTS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A partition was manually added to the Glue Data Catalog that already exists — Option C is correct because the error occurs when a partition is already registered in the Glue Data Catalog and a new ALTER TABLE ADD PARTITION tries to add it again. Option A would cause schema mismatch. Option B would cause permission error. Option D would cause file not found.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DEA-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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