The answer is an AWS Glue connection to the RDS database and an AWS Glue ETL job with a Spark script. The connection provides the network and authentication configuration required to extract data from the PostgreSQL instance, while the ETL job executes the Spark transformation logic and loads the results into S3. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of Glue’s core components for production ETL pipelines, often trapping candidates who confuse a crawler (used for schema discovery) or a development endpoint (for interactive coding) with the actual scheduled job components. A common memory tip is to remember that extraction needs a connection, transformation needs a job, and neither a crawler nor a notebook is required for a scheduled ETL—think “connect and compute” for the two required pieces.
MLS-C01 Data Engineering Practice Question
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 data engineering team needs to schedule a nightly ETL job that extracts data from an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL instance, transforms it using Spark, and loads it into Amazon S3. The team wants to use AWS Glue for this task. Which components are required? (Select TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An AWS Glue ETL job with a Spark script.
Option A is correct because a connection to the PostgreSQL database is needed for extraction. Option D is correct because an AWS Glue ETL job with Spark script performs the transformation. Option B is wrong because a crawler is for cataloging, not for ETL. Option C is wrong because a development endpoint is for interactive development, not production scheduling. Option E is wrong because a notebook is for development, not for scheduled jobs.
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.
✓
An AWS Glue ETL job with a Spark script.
Why this is correct
The job performs the defined ETL logic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An AWS Glue crawler to populate the Data Catalog.
Why it's wrong here
Crawler is not required for the ETL job; schema can be defined manually.
✓
An AWS Glue connection to the RDS database.
Why this is correct
Connection enables Glue to access the database.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An AWS Glue development endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Development endpoint is for development, not production.
✗
An AWS Glue notebook for data exploration.
Why it's wrong here
Notebook is for exploration, not production scheduling.
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: An AWS Glue ETL job with a Spark script. — Option A is correct because a connection to the PostgreSQL database is needed for extraction. Option D is correct because an AWS Glue ETL job with Spark script performs the transformation. Option B is wrong because a crawler is for cataloging, not for ETL. Option C is wrong because a development endpoint is for interactive development, not production scheduling. Option E is wrong because a notebook is for development, not for scheduled jobs.
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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