The answer is the IAM role attached to the Glue job must include s3:GetObject on the S3 bucket and redshift:CopyFromS3 on the Redshift cluster. This is because an AWS Glue job reading from S3 requires read access to the source objects, and when it writes to Redshift, it uses the COPY command behind the scenes, which demands the redshift:CopyFromS3 permission on the Redshift cluster to load data from S3. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-service IAM permissions and the specific actions required for Glue’s ETL pipeline. A common trap is assuming the Glue job only needs S3 read access, forgetting that Redshift’s COPY operation is a separate action that must be explicitly allowed. Another pitfall is thinking an EC2 or Lambda permission is needed, but Glue jobs use their own IAM role and can leverage VPC endpoints. Remember the mnemonic: “Glue reads S3, Redshift copies from S3 — two separate permissions for two separate services.”
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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 data engineer is troubleshooting a failed AWS Glue job that reads from an S3 bucket and writes to an Amazon Redshift table. The error message indicates 'Access Denied'. Which TWO permissions are likely missing? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
s3:GetObject on the source S3 bucket
Options A and B are required for the Glue job to read from S3 and write to Redshift. Option C (Lambda) is not used. Option D (EC2) is not needed if the job uses a VPC endpoint. Option E (KMS) is unnecessary unless encryption is used.
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.
✓
s3:GetObject on the source S3 bucket
Why this is correct
Glue needs read access to objects in the S3 bucket.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
redshift:CopyFromS3 on the Redshift cluster
Why this is correct
Glue uses the COPY command to load data into Redshift, requiring this permission.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
kms:Decrypt on a KMS key
Why it's wrong here
If encryption is used, this might be needed, but the question does not mention encryption.
✗
ec2:DescribeInstances on the Redshift cluster
Why it's wrong here
Not required for Glue to write to Redshift.
✗
lambda:InvokeFunction on a Lambda function
Why it's wrong here
Lambda is not part of the Glue job in this scenario.
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
Scenario analysis trap
Lambda is not part of the Glue job in this scenario.
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 Operations and Support — This question tests Data Operations and Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: s3:GetObject on the source S3 bucket — Options A and B are required for the Glue job to read from S3 and write to Redshift. Option C (Lambda) is not used. Option D (EC2) is not needed if the job uses a VPC endpoint. Option E (KMS) is unnecessary unless encryption is used.
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.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data engineer is troubleshooting a failed AWS Glue job that writes results to Amazon S3. The error log shows 'AccessDenied' when trying to list the bucket. Which IAM policy statement should the engineer add to the Glue job's role?
easy
✓ A.s3:ListBucket
B.s3:PutObject
C.s3:DeleteObject
D.s3:GetObject
Why A: Option A is correct because listing a bucket requires the s3:ListBucket permission. Option B is wrong because s3:PutObject is for writing, not listing. Option C is wrong because s3:GetObject is for reading objects. Option D is wrong because s3:DeleteObject is not needed.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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.