The answer is to ensure the IAM user or role generating the presigned URL has the s3:GetObject permission for the object. This is correct because presigned URLs function independently of how an object was uploaded—whether via standard PUT or multipart upload—as long as the signing principal has explicit read access. The common misconception is that multipart uploads break presigned URLs due to non-MD5 ETags, but the actual issue is almost always an insufficient IAM policy. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding that presigned URL generation is a permission-based operation, not a storage-format issue, and the trap is to overcomplicate the solution with versioning or signing algorithms. Remember the memory tip: "Presigned URLs care about permissions, not upload methods."
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 company uses Amazon S3 to store images that are accessed by a web application. The application generates presigned URLs for users to download images. Recently, the application has been experiencing errors when generating presigned URLs for objects that were uploaded using multipart upload. The errors indicate that the presigned URL does not work. The data engineer needs to ensure that presigned URLs work for all objects, including those uploaded via multipart upload. What should the data engineer do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ensure that the IAM user or role used to generate the presigned URL has s3:GetObject permission for the object.
Multipart uploads may result in objects with ETags that are not simple MD5 hashes. Presigned URLs work regardless of how the object was uploaded, as long as the bucket policy does not restrict access. The issue is likely that the IAM user or role used to generate the presigned URL does not have s3:GetObject permission for the object, or the presigned URL is generated incorrectly for multipart uploads. The correct action is to ensure the IAM policy grants s3:GetObject access and that the presigned URL generation uses the correct method (e.g., using AWS SDK). Option C is correct. Option A: enabling versioning does not affect presigned URL generation. Option B: using a different signing algorithm is unnecessary; SigV4 is default. Option D: multipart upload does not affect presigned URLs.
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.
✗
Use a different signing algorithm when generating the presigned URL.
Why it's wrong here
SigV4 is standard; changing algorithm is not needed.
✓
Ensure that the IAM user or role used to generate the presigned URL has s3:GetObject permission for the object.
Why this is correct
Permissions are required to generate a valid presigned URL.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable S3 Versioning on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning does not affect presigned URL generation.
✗
Re-upload the objects using single-part upload instead of multipart upload.
Why it's wrong here
Multipart upload is not the cause; presigned URLs work with multipart uploads.
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 Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Ensure that the IAM user or role used to generate the presigned URL has s3:GetObject permission for the object. — Multipart uploads may result in objects with ETags that are not simple MD5 hashes. Presigned URLs work regardless of how the object was uploaded, as long as the bucket policy does not restrict access. The issue is likely that the IAM user or role used to generate the presigned URL does not have s3:GetObject permission for the object, or the presigned URL is generated incorrectly for multipart uploads. The correct action is to ensure the IAM policy grants s3:GetObject access and that the presigned URL generation uses the correct method (e.g., using AWS SDK). Option C is correct. Option A: enabling versioning does not affect presigned URL generation. Option B: using a different signing algorithm is unnecessary; SigV4 is default. Option D: multipart upload does not affect presigned URLs.
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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