The answer is to increase the number of DPUs per worker. This is the most effective fix for an AWS Glue OutOfMemory error because it directly increases the memory allocated to each executor, allowing the existing script to handle larger datasets without modification. When a Standard worker type runs out of memory, boosting DPUs per worker raises the memory ceiling per task, whereas simply adding more workers spreads the load but leaves each worker’s memory unchanged, failing to resolve the root cause. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Glue worker configurations and resource allocation—a common trap is confusing horizontal scaling (adding workers) with vertical scaling (increasing DPUs per worker). Remember the mnemonic: “More DPUs per worker, more memory per task—more workers just spread the flask.”
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 notices that an AWS Glue ETL job is failing with an OutOfMemory error when processing a large dataset. The job uses a Standard worker type. Which action is MOST effective to resolve this issue without changing the job script?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Increase the number of DPUs per worker
Option B is correct because increasing the number of DPUs per worker provides more memory per task, addressing OutOfMemory errors directly. Option A is wrong because G.1X worker type has less memory than Standard. Option C is wrong because increasing the number of workers does not increase memory per worker. Option D is wrong because changing to G.2X may help but is not as direct as increasing DPUs per worker, and it may also increase cost unnecessarily.
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.
✗
Increase the number of workers
Why it's wrong here
Adding more workers does not increase memory available per worker.
✗
Switch to G.1X worker type
Why it's wrong here
G.1X has 16 GB of memory, which is less than Standard (18 GB).
✗
Change to G.2X worker type
Why it's wrong here
G.2X has 32 GB memory, but this may be overkill and more expensive; increasing DPUs per worker is a more targeted solution.
✓
Increase the number of DPUs per worker
Why this is correct
Increasing DPUs per worker increases memory per worker, directly addressing OutOfMemory errors.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 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: Increase the number of DPUs per worker — Option B is correct because increasing the number of DPUs per worker provides more memory per task, addressing OutOfMemory errors directly. Option A is wrong because G.1X worker type has less memory than Standard. Option C is wrong because increasing the number of workers does not increase memory per worker. Option D is wrong because changing to G.2X may help but is not as direct as increasing DPUs per worker, and it may also increase cost unnecessarily.
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 needs to troubleshoot why an AWS Glue job is failing with a 'Insufficient Memory' error. The job processes a 10 GB dataset. Which step should the engineer take FIRST?
easy
A.Switch from using Apache Spark to Python shell.
B.Repartition the data into more partitions within the job.
C.Change the job type from Python to Java.
✓ D.Increase the number of DPUs allocated to the job.
Why D: Option A is correct because increasing the DPU count allocates more memory per worker. Option B is wrong because Glue supports Python and Scala, not Java. Option C is wrong because repartitioning may or may not help; memory is the immediate issue. Option D is wrong because using Apache Spark is already the default; switching to Python shell would not handle the volume.
Variation 2. A data engineer notices that an AWS Glue ETL job is failing with a 'MemoryError' when processing a large dataset. Which approach should the engineer take to resolve this issue?
easy
✓ A.Increase the number of DPUs for the job.
B.Change the source file format from Parquet to JSON.
C.Reduce the number of partitions in the source data.
D.Use S3 Select to filter data before processing.
Why A: Option A is correct because increasing the number of DPUs (Data Processing Units) allocates more memory and processing capacity to the job, which can resolve memory errors for large datasets. Option B is incorrect because S3 Select does not help with memory in Glue jobs. Option C is incorrect because reducing the number of partitions may increase memory pressure. Option D is incorrect because changing the file format to JSON typically increases memory usage.
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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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