The answer is that the IAM policy is missing the s3:ListBucket permission on the S3 bucket itself. This is the likely cause of the Access Denied error because AWS Glue requires the s3:ListBucket action to enumerate the objects within a bucket before it can read them using s3:GetObject. Without this permission, the Glue job cannot discover which objects exist to process, even if it has explicit read access to the objects themselves. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the distinction between bucket-level permissions (like ListBucket) and object-level permissions (like GetObject), a common trap where candidates assume GetObject alone is sufficient. Remember the memory tip: "List the bucket before you Get the object" — Glue needs to see the directory before it can read the files.
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.
A data engineer is troubleshooting an AWS Glue job that is failing with an Access Denied error when trying to read data from an S3 bucket. The IAM policy attached to the Glue job's IAM role is shown in the exhibit. What is the likely cause of the failure?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy does not include s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket.
Option A is correct because the policy only allows s3:GetObject on the bucket objects, but not on the bucket itself. Glue needs s3:ListBucket permission to list objects in the bucket before reading them. Option B is incorrect because the policy does allow s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject. Option C is incorrect because the policy allows glue:StartJobRun, but the issue is S3 access. Option D is incorrect because the policy allows glue:GetJobRun, but the issue is S3 access.
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 policy does not include s3:GetObject or s3:PutObject permissions.
Why it's wrong here
The policy does include those actions.
✗
The policy does not include glue:StartJobRun permission.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes glue:StartJobRun on all resources.
✓
The policy does not include s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket.
Why this is correct
Glue needs s3:ListBucket to enumerate objects in the bucket before reading.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy does not include glue:GetJobRun permission.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes glue:GetJobRun on all resources.
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 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 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 policy does not include s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket. — Option A is correct because the policy only allows s3:GetObject on the bucket objects, but not on the bucket itself. Glue needs s3:ListBucket permission to list objects in the bucket before reading them. Option B is incorrect because the policy does allow s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject. Option C is incorrect because the policy allows glue:StartJobRun, but the issue is S3 access. Option D is incorrect because the policy allows glue:GetJobRun, but the issue is S3 access.
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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