DEA-C01 Data Ingestion and Transformation Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data ingestion and transformation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Which THREE factors should be considered when choosing between AWS Glue and Amazon EMR for data transformation? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
EMR allows fine-grained control over cluster configuration and software.
Option B is correct because Amazon EMR provides full control over cluster configuration, including the ability to customize software, install libraries, and tune Spark, Hadoop, or Hive parameters. This fine-grained control is essential for complex or specialized data transformation pipelines that require specific versions or custom configurations.
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.
✗
Glue automatically stores data in S3 after transformation.
Why it's wrong here
Both can write to S3; it's not a differentiator.
✓
EMR allows fine-grained control over cluster configuration and software.
Why this is correct
EMR provides flexibility to install custom software and tune clusters.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
EMR supports real-time stream processing with Spark Streaming.
Why it's wrong here
Both can do streaming, but Glue Streaming is also available.
✓
Glue is serverless, reducing operational overhead.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Glue integrates natively with the Glue Data Catalog for schema management.
Why this is correct
Glue Data Catalog is a central metadata repository used by Glue jobs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Glue's automatic schema discovery with automatic data storage, or assume EMR is the only option for streaming, when in fact both services support streaming but with different levels of control and operational overhead.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS Glue uses Apache Spark in a serverless environment, abstracting cluster management, while EMR gives you direct access to the underlying EC2 instances and allows you to modify Spark configurations (e.g., spark.executor.memory, spark.sql.shuffle.partitions) and install custom libraries via bootstrap actions. In a real-world scenario, if you need to use a specific version of a library like Apache Hudi or Delta Lake, EMR is the better choice because you can install it manually, whereas Glue has a fixed set of pre-installed libraries.
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.
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
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: EMR allows fine-grained control over cluster configuration and software. — Option B is correct because Amazon EMR provides full control over cluster configuration, including the ability to customize software, install libraries, and tune Spark, Hadoop, or Hive parameters. This fine-grained control is essential for complex or specialized data transformation pipelines that require specific versions or custom configurations.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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