The answer is to increase the number of DPUs allocated to the Glue job. This is correct because an AWS Glue OutOfMemoryError in a Spark executor indicates that the executor’s memory is insufficient for the data being processed in its partition; adding more DPUs increases the total memory and cores available, distributing the 2 TB workload across more executors and reducing the memory pressure per executor without altering the job logic. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Spark resource management in Glue—specifically that DPUs control both memory and compute, not just parallelism. A common trap is assuming repartitioning alone will help, but without adding DPUs, the same total memory is simply split into smaller, still-overloaded executors. Remember the memory tip: “More DPUs, more room—repartitioning just rearranges the furniture.”
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
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.
A company uses AWS Glue to transform data stored in Amazon S3. During a run, the job fails with a 'OutOfMemoryError' in the Spark executor. The job processes 2 TB of parquet files using 10 DPUs. The data is evenly distributed across partitions. Which action would MOST likely resolve the issue without impacting the job logic?
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
✓
Increase the number of DPUs allocated to the Glue job.
Option A is correct because increasing DPUs provides more memory and cores. Option B is wrong because repartitioning may not reduce memory per executor if total DPUs unchanged. Option C is wrong because compressing reduces input size, but Spark uses memory for processing, not just storage. Option D is wrong because increasing S3 request rate does not help with executor memory.
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.
✗
Enable S3 request rate increase to speed up data reading.
Why it's wrong here
Does not affect executor memory.
✓
Increase the number of DPUs allocated to the Glue job.
Why this is correct
More DPUs increase total memory available.
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.
✗
Repartition the data to a larger number of partitions.
Why it's wrong here
May help parallelism but not memory per executor if DPUs unchanged.
✗
Change the input format from Parquet to Snappy-compressed CSV.
Why it's wrong here
Format change does not fix memory; Snappy may be similar.
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.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
Format change does not fix memory; Snappy may be similar.
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 Ingestion and Transformation — This question tests Data Ingestion and Transformation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Increase the number of DPUs allocated to the Glue job. — Option A is correct because increasing DPUs provides more memory and cores. Option B is wrong because repartitioning may not reduce memory per executor if total DPUs unchanged. Option C is wrong because compressing reduces input size, but Spark uses memory for processing, not just storage. Option D is wrong because increasing S3 request rate does not help with executor memory.
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.
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Question Discussion
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