The answer is that the ARN is missing the log-stream portion, which causes the access denied error. A CloudWatch Logs IAM policy ARN format must explicitly include the log-stream prefix and a wildcard to grant permissions for creating log streams and putting logs, as the resource-level permissions in CloudWatch Logs require separate ARNs for the log group and its child log streams. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this tests your understanding of how IAM resource ARNs map to specific AWS service actions—a common trap is assuming a log-group ARN with a wildcard covers all sub-resources, when in reality you must append `:log-stream:*` to the log-group ARN. Remember the mnemonic: "Group first, stream second—without the stream, your logs are unheard."
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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Resource: "arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:123456789012:log-group:my-log-group:*"
An IAM policy includes the above resource ARN for CloudWatch Logs. A data engineer needs to allow a Lambda function to create log streams and put logs to the log group 'my-log-group'. However, the Lambda function is failing with access denied. What is the issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The ARN does not include the log-stream portion.
Option B is correct because the ARN includes a wildcard for log streams, but the correct ARN for log streams should be 'arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:123456789012:log-group:my-log-group:log-stream:*'. However, the more common issue is that the ARN is missing the log-stream prefix. Option A is wrong because the ARN format is valid. Option C is wrong because the Lambda execution role needs permissions, not the function itself. Option D is wrong because the region is correct.
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 region in the ARN does not match the Lambda function's region.
Why it's wrong here
The region matches.
✗
The Lambda function does not have an execution role.
Why it's wrong here
The function must have an execution role, but the issue is with the ARN.
✓
The ARN does not include the log-stream portion.
Why this is correct
The correct ARN for log streams should be 'arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:123456789012:log-group:my-log-group:log-stream:*'.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The ARN is incorrectly formatted because of the wildcard.
Why it's wrong here
Wildcard is allowed.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: The ARN does not include the log-stream portion. — Option B is correct because the ARN includes a wildcard for log streams, but the correct ARN for log streams should be 'arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:123456789012:log-group:my-log-group:log-stream:*'. However, the more common issue is that the ARN is missing the log-stream prefix. Option A is wrong because the ARN format is valid. Option C is wrong because the Lambda execution role needs permissions, not the function itself. Option D is wrong because the region is correct.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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
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