The most cost-effective way to convert JSON logs to Parquet during ingestion is to configure the Kinesis Data Firehose delivery stream to perform the conversion using a schema from AWS Glue. This approach is correct because Firehose natively supports converting incoming data to Parquet or ORC formats by referencing a table schema stored in the AWS Glue Data Catalog, eliminating the need for any additional compute resources or services. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of native Firehose capabilities versus more expensive alternatives—a common trap is choosing AWS Lambda, which incurs per-invocation costs and adds latency, or suggesting Glue ETL, which introduces unnecessary overhead for a simple format change. Remember that Firehose’s built-in transformation is the leanest path for real-time, serverless conversion. A helpful memory tip: “Firehose formats for free—no Lambda, no Glue ETL fee.”
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 company uses Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to ingest application logs into an Amazon S3 bucket. The logs are in JSON format. The data engineering team wants to convert the logs from JSON to Parquet format before landing in S3. What is the most cost-effective way to achieve this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the Firehose delivery stream to convert the data to Parquet using a schema from AWS Glue.
Option B is correct because Kinesis Data Firehose can convert the input data format to Parquet using a schema from AWS Glue. Option A is incorrect because Lambda can do this but incurring additional compute cost. Option C is incorrect because Athena queries raw data and would not help with ingestion. Option D is incorrect because Glue ETL would add cost and latency.
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.
✗
Use Amazon Athena to query the JSON data and write results in Parquet format.
Why it's wrong here
Athena is for querying, not for real-time ingestion.
✓
Configure the Firehose delivery stream to convert the data to Parquet using a schema from AWS Glue.
Why this is correct
Firehose supports built-in conversion to Parquet/ORC using Glue schema.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use an AWS Lambda function to transform each record to Parquet and send to Firehose.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda adds cost and complexity; Firehose can natively convert to Parquet.
✗
Use an AWS Glue ETL job to run on a schedule and convert JSON to Parquet in S3.
Why it's wrong here
Glue ETL adds latency and cost; Firehose can do it in real-time.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Configure the Firehose delivery stream to convert the data to Parquet using a schema from AWS Glue. — Option B is correct because Kinesis Data Firehose can convert the input data format to Parquet using a schema from AWS Glue. Option A is incorrect because Lambda can do this but incurring additional compute cost. Option C is incorrect because Athena queries raw data and would not help with ingestion. Option D is incorrect because Glue ETL would add cost and latency.
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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Question Discussion
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