The answer is to increase the number of DPUs to 20. This is correct because AWS Glue jobs in standard mode distribute work across workers, and adding more DPUs increases the parallelism available for processing the 500 GB dataset. However, this only reduces duration if the job is not already bottlenecked by a single partition or a non-distributed operation like a join or aggregation. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this tests your understanding of Glue’s resource allocation model and the trade-off between DPU count and job scalability. A common trap is assuming more DPUs always help, but they only improve performance when the workload can be effectively parallelized. Remember the memory tip: “More DPUs, more speed—but only if the job can spread the feed.”
DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data operations and support. 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 data engineer is monitoring an AWS Glue ETL job that processes data from an S3 bucket and writes to a Redshift table. The job completes successfully but takes longer than expected. The engineer notices that the job uses 10 DPUs and the data size is 500 GB. The job runs in standard mode. Which change would MOST reduce job duration?
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 to 20.
Option D is correct because increasing DPUs allows more parallelism if the job is distributed. Option A is wrong because reducing the number of partitions may increase data skew. Option B is wrong because using a smaller instance type reduces resources. Option C is wrong because converting to CSV increases file size and processing time.
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 DPUs to 20.
Why this is correct
More DPUs provide more parallelism, reducing job execution time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a smaller worker type like G.1X.
Why it's wrong here
Smaller workers reduce memory and compute per worker, potentially increasing duration.
✗
Change the output format from Parquet to CSV.
Why it's wrong here
CSV is larger and slower to process than Parquet.
✗
Reduce the number of partitions in the data.
Why it's wrong here
Fewer partitions can lead to fewer tasks and less parallelism, increasing run 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 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: Increase the number of DPUs to 20. — Option D is correct because increasing DPUs allows more parallelism if the job is distributed. Option A is wrong because reducing the number of partitions may increase data skew. Option B is wrong because using a smaller instance type reduces resources. Option C is wrong because converting to CSV increases file size and processing time.
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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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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