This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data engineering. 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 company is building a data lake on Amazon S3. Raw data is ingested from multiple sources in different formats (CSV, JSON, Parquet). The data must be cataloged and made queryable using Amazon Athena. The data schema may evolve over time. Which approach minimizes manual effort and supports schema evolution?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS Glue Crawlers to automatically create and update the Glue Data Catalog
Using AWS Glue Crawlers automatically infers and updates schemas in the Glue Data Catalog, supporting schema evolution. Option B (manual schema creation) is error-prone and not scalable. Option C (EMR only) does not leverage Glue Catalog. Option D (Athena only) can query but does not manage schema evolution.
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 Athena only, without a catalog, by directly querying files
Why it's wrong here
Athena requires a catalog; schema evolution is not supported automatically.
✗
Use Amazon EMR to process data and write to a Hive metastore
Why it's wrong here
Adds complexity; Glue is simpler for Athena integration.
✓
Use AWS Glue Crawlers to automatically create and update the Glue Data Catalog
Why this is correct
Crawlers automatically detect schema changes and update the catalog.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Manually create tables in Athena using DDL statements
Why it's wrong here
Requires manual intervention for schema changes.
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 MLS-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 Engineering — This question tests Data Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS Glue Crawlers to automatically create and update the Glue Data Catalog — Using AWS Glue Crawlers automatically infers and updates schemas in the Glue Data Catalog, supporting schema evolution. Option B (manual schema creation) is error-prone and not scalable. Option C (EMR only) does not leverage Glue Catalog. Option D (Athena only) can query but does not manage schema evolution.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which MLS-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 MLS-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 MLS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
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