The correct answer is that the Glue Crawler updated the schema, causing partition metadata to become inconsistent with the actual data. This happens because when a crawler adds a new column or changes a data type in the Glue Data Catalog table, the existing partition metadata still references the old schema, so Athena cannot properly read the split files and throws the HIVE_CANNOT_OPEN_SPLIT error. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how schema evolution interacts with partitioned data—a common trap is assuming the issue is permissions or concurrent queries, but the core concept is metadata mismatch. Remember that Athena reads partition metadata independently from the table schema, so after a crawler update, you must either run MSCK REPAIR TABLE or manually refresh the partitions to realign them. A useful memory tip: "Schema change, partitions strange—repair to rearrange."
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 data engineer runs an AWS Glue Crawler that updates a table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog. The table is used by Amazon Athena queries. After the crawler runs, some queries start failing with the error 'HIVE_CANNOT_OPEN_SPLIT'. 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
✓
The crawler updated the schema and the partition metadata is inconsistent with the actual data.
Option C is correct because a schema change (e.g., new column or changed data type) can cause partition metadata to be inconsistent with actual data, leading to split errors. Option A is wrong because S3 permissions would cause access denied. Option B is wrong because the crawler can handle partitions. Option D is wrong because concurrent queries do not cause split errors.
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.
✓
The crawler updated the schema and the partition metadata is inconsistent with the actual data.
Why this is correct
Schema changes can cause split errors.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The crawler does not have IAM permissions to read the S3 location.
Why it's wrong here
That would cause crawler failure, not query failure.
✗
The crawler created too many partitions, exceeding the Athena limit.
Why it's wrong here
Athena has a partition limit but that error is different.
✗
There are concurrent queries accessing the same table.
Why it's wrong here
Concurrent queries do not cause split errors.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 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.
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 Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The crawler updated the schema and the partition metadata is inconsistent with the actual data. — Option C is correct because a schema change (e.g., new column or changed data type) can cause partition metadata to be inconsistent with actual data, leading to split errors. Option A is wrong because S3 permissions would cause access denied. Option B is wrong because the crawler can handle partitions. Option D is wrong because concurrent queries do not cause split errors.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
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.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.