- A
The table's resource-based policy does not include the engineer's IAM role.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Lake Formation permissions are not passed via resource-based policies on the table.
- B
The S3 bucket policy denies access to the engineer's IAM role.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Although S3 bucket policies can block access, the primary issue here is missing KMS permissions for decryption.
- C
The AWS Glue Data Catalog has not been granted permission to the engineer's role.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The AWS Glue Data Catalog does not enforce data access by default; it relies on Lake Formation or IAM.
- D
The IAM role used by Athena does not have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key.
Correct. The IAM role used by Athena must have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key to access encrypted data.
DEA-C01 AWS Lake Formation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: aWS Lake Formation. 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 AWS Lake Formation to manage access to data in a data lake. A new data engineer has been granted SELECT permission on a table but receives an 'AccessDeniedException' when querying via Amazon Athena. The table is registered in Lake Formation and the data is encrypted with SSE-KMS. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The IAM role used by Athena does not have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key.
The correct answer is D: The IAM role used by Athena does not have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key. When data is encrypted with SSE-KMS, Athena's IAM role requires kms:Decrypt to read the data from S3. Even if Lake Formation grants SELECT permission, the query fails without KMS access. Option A is incorrect because Lake Formation does not use resource-based policies on tables; it uses LF-Tags or resource links to grant permissions. Option B is incorrect because while an S3 bucket policy could block access, the most likely issue with encrypted data is missing KMS permissions. Option C is incorrect because the Glue Data Catalog does not enforce data access; Lake Formation is the service that manages fine-grained access.
Key principle: AWS Lake Formation
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 table's resource-based policy does not include the engineer's IAM role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Lake Formation permissions are not passed via resource-based policies on the table.
- ✗
The S3 bucket policy denies access to the engineer's IAM role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Although S3 bucket policies can block access, the primary issue here is missing KMS permissions for decryption.
- ✗
The AWS Glue Data Catalog has not been granted permission to the engineer's role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The AWS Glue Data Catalog does not enforce data access by default; it relies on Lake Formation or IAM.
- ✓
The IAM role used by Athena does not have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key.
Why this is correct
Correct. The IAM role used by Athena must have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key to access encrypted data.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
AWS Lake Formation
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
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- AWS Lake Formation
- Amazon Athena
- SSE-KMS
- IAM role
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
AWS Lake Formation
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.
Review aWS Lake Formation, then practise related DEA-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — AWS Lake Formation.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The IAM role used by Athena does not have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key. — The correct answer is D: The IAM role used by Athena does not have kms:Decrypt permission on the KMS key. When data is encrypted with SSE-KMS, Athena's IAM role requires kms:Decrypt to read the data from S3. Even if Lake Formation grants SELECT permission, the query fails without KMS access. Option A is incorrect because Lake Formation does not use resource-based policies on tables; it uses LF-Tags or resource links to grant permissions. Option B is incorrect because while an S3 bucket policy could block access, the most likely issue with encrypted data is missing KMS permissions. Option C is incorrect because the Glue Data Catalog does not enforce data access; Lake Formation is the service that manages fine-grained access.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Review aWS Lake Formation, then practise related DEA-C01 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS Lake Formation
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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