- A
Load the data into Redshift tables using the COPY command.
Why wrong: This is for native tables, not Spectrum.
- B
Create an external schema and external table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog.
Redshift Spectrum uses the Glue Data Catalog to query data in S3.
- C
Create a separate Redshift Spectrum cluster.
Why wrong: Redshift Spectrum runs on the existing Redshift cluster.
- D
Copy the data from S3 to Redshift-managed storage.
Why wrong: Spectrum queries data directly in S3 without copying.
Question 1,425 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 company wants to use Amazon Redshift Spectrum to query data in Amazon S3. The data is in Parquet format and partitioned by date. Which step is required to enable Redshift Spectrum?
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
✓
Create an external schema and external table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog.
Redshift Spectrum allows querying data directly in Amazon S3 without loading it into Redshift. To use Spectrum, you must define an external schema and external table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog (or an external Hive metastore) that points to the S3 location and specifies the Parquet format and partition structure. This enables Redshift to read the data in place using the Spectrum engine.
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.
- ✗
Load the data into Redshift tables using the COPY command.
Why it's wrong here
This is for native tables, not Spectrum.
- ✓
Create an external schema and external table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog.
Why this is correct
Redshift Spectrum uses the Glue Data Catalog to query data in S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a separate Redshift Spectrum cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Redshift Spectrum runs on the existing Redshift cluster.
- ✗
Copy the data from S3 to Redshift-managed storage.
Why it's wrong here
Spectrum queries data directly in S3 without copying.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume Redshift Spectrum requires a separate cluster or that data must be loaded into Redshift, confusing Spectrum with traditional Redshift ingestion methods like COPY or CTAS.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Redshift Spectrum uses the Redshift cluster's compute nodes to push down predicate filtering and aggregation to the Spectrum layer, which reads Parquet files from S3 using columnar pruning and predicate pushdown. The external table definition in the Glue Data Catalog includes partition metadata (e.g., date=2025-01-01) that Spectrum uses to skip irrelevant partitions, reducing I/O and cost. A common real-world scenario is querying terabytes of historical logs in S3 without needing to load them into Redshift, enabling cost-effective analytics on cold 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.
- →
Data Store Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Data Store Management practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DEA-C01 questions
1,786 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DEA-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DEA-C01 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Data Ingestion and Transformation practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Ingestion and Transformation.
Data Operations and Support practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Operations and Support.
Data Security and Governance practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Security and Governance.
Data Store Management practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to Data Store Management.
DEA-C01 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 fundamentals.
DEA-C01 scenario practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 scenario.
DEA-C01 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DEA-C01 questions linked to DEA-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DEA-C01 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an external schema and external table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog. — Redshift Spectrum allows querying data directly in Amazon S3 without loading it into Redshift. To use Spectrum, you must define an external schema and external table in the AWS Glue Data Catalog (or an external Hive metastore) that points to the S3 location and specifies the Parquet format and partition structure. This enables Redshift to read the data in place using the Spectrum engine.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More DEA-C01 practice questions
- A data pipeline uses Kinesis Data Firehose to deliver streaming data to an S3 bucket. The data volume spikes occasionall…
- An e-commerce company uses AWS Glue to run ETL jobs that transform clickstream data from Amazon S3. The job reads Parque…
- A data engineering team uses Amazon Kinesis Data Analytics for Apache Flink to process streaming data. They notice that…
- A company uses AWS Glue to process streaming data from Amazon Kinesis Data Streams. The job reads JSON records and write…
- A data engineer applies the above bucket policy to an S3 bucket containing sensitive data. The goal is to allow only enc…
- A company uses AWS Glue to catalog data in Amazon S3. The security team requires that all sensitive data be identified a…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.