- A
Export the database to S3 using pg_dump and then use AWS Glue to load into S3 in Parquet format.
Why wrong: pg_dump is a batch export, not CDC.
- B
Use AWS DMS to replicate data to Amazon Redshift, then unload to S3.
Why wrong: Redshift is not needed; direct to S3 is simpler.
- C
Use AWS DMS to replicate data directly to S3 in near real-time.
DMS can write CDC to S3 with low latency.
- D
Use AWS DMS to replicate data to an SQS queue, then process with Lambda to write to S3.
Why wrong: This adds unnecessary complexity and latency.
Question 977 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. 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 engineer is designing a pipeline to ingest change data capture (CDC) events from an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database into Amazon S3. The CDC events are captured using AWS DMS. The data must be available for querying within 5 minutes of the change. Which approach meets these requirements?
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
✓
Use AWS DMS to replicate data directly to S3 in near real-time.
Option C is correct because AWS DMS supports continuous replication (change data capture) directly to Amazon S3 as a target endpoint. DMS can write CDC events to S3 in near real-time (typically seconds to minutes), meeting the 5-minute latency requirement without intermediate services. The data is stored in comma-separated value (CSV) or Parquet format, ready for querying via Athena or Glue.
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.
- ✗
Export the database to S3 using pg_dump and then use AWS Glue to load into S3 in Parquet format.
Why it's wrong here
pg_dump is a batch export, not CDC.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS to replicate data to Amazon Redshift, then unload to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Redshift is not needed; direct to S3 is simpler.
- ✓
Use AWS DMS to replicate data directly to S3 in near real-time.
Why this is correct
DMS can write CDC to S3 with low latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS DMS to replicate data to an SQS queue, then process with Lambda to write to S3.
Why it's wrong here
This adds unnecessary complexity and latency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may overcomplicate the solution by introducing intermediate services (like Redshift or SQS) when DMS’s native S3 target endpoint already provides near-real-time CDC replication, and they may confuse pg_dump (a batch export tool) with a CDC mechanism.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS DMS uses a task-level change processing engine that reads the PostgreSQL write-ahead log (WAL) via logical replication slots to capture inserts, updates, and deletes. When S3 is the target, DMS batches changes and writes them as new files (e.g., .csv or .parquet) in a configurable interval (default 5 minutes or 100 MB), aligning with the 5-minute requirement. Under the hood, DMS uses a checkpoint mechanism to track the last committed transaction, ensuring exactly-once delivery semantics for CDC data.
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 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
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: Use AWS DMS to replicate data directly to S3 in near real-time. — Option C is correct because AWS DMS supports continuous replication (change data capture) directly to Amazon S3 as a target endpoint. DMS can write CDC events to S3 in near real-time (typically seconds to minutes), meeting the 5-minute latency requirement without intermediate services. The data is stored in comma-separated value (CSV) or Parquet format, ready for querying via Athena or Glue.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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