This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer runs the above CLI command to find files smaller than 1000 bytes in a bucket. The command returns an empty array, but the engineer knows there are small files. What is the issue?
The prefix is incorrect; it should be 'logs/2023/01/01/'.
Why wrong: The prefix is correct.
The bucket policy does not allow listing objects.
Why wrong: If access were denied, the command would fail with an error.
The query syntax is invalid; use a filter instead.
Why wrong: The query is valid.
The Size is compared as a string, not an integer; remove quotes around '1000'.
JMESPath comparison requires numeric types.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The Size is compared as a string, not an integer; remove quotes around '1000'.
Option D is correct because in the AWS CLI `list-objects-v2` command with `--query`, the `Size` field is a numeric value, but the query string `Size < '1000'` compares it as a string. This causes a lexicographic comparison, so files with sizes like '900' would be correctly matched, but any size with more digits (e.g., '1000' itself or '999') may fail due to string ordering. Removing the quotes around `1000` treats it as an integer, enabling proper numeric comparison.
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.
The prefix is incorrect; it should be 'logs/2023/01/01/'.
Why it's wrong here
The prefix is correct.
The bucket policy does not allow listing objects.
Why it's wrong here
If access were denied, the command would fail with an error.
The query syntax is invalid; use a filter instead.
Why it's wrong here
The query is valid.
The Size is compared as a string, not an integer; remove quotes around '1000'.
Why this is correct
JMESPath comparison requires numeric types.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The DEA-C01 exam often tests the subtle distinction between string and numeric comparisons in JMESPath queries, where candidates assume quoted values are automatically coerced to numbers, but in reality, quotes force string comparison.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
If access were denied, the command would fail with an error.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the AWS CLI uses JMESPath for `--query`, which is a JSON query language. When a number is quoted in a JMESPath comparison, it is treated as a string literal, and string comparison uses Unicode code point ordering, not numeric ordering. For example, '99' > '1000' in string comparison because '9' > '1'. This is a common pitfall when filtering numeric fields like `Size`, `LastModified` timestamps, or `ContentLength` in S3 responses. In real-world scenarios, this can silently return empty results even when matching objects exist, leading to debugging confusion.
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
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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: The Size is compared as a string, not an integer; remove quotes around '1000'. — Option D is correct because in the AWS CLI `list-objects-v2` command with `--query`, the `Size` field is a numeric value, but the query string `Size < '1000'` compares it as a string. This causes a lexicographic comparison, so files with sizes like '900' would be correctly matched, but any size with more digits (e.g., '1000' itself or '999') may fail due to string ordering. Removing the quotes around `1000` treats it as an integer, enabling proper numeric comparison.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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