MLS-C01 Practice Question: Machine Learning Implementation and Operations
A data scientist is using SageMaker to train a model with a custom algorithm. The training script uses TensorFlow and runs on GPU instances. The training job fails with 'CUDA_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY'. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
AWS often tests the misconception that GPU errors are always driver-related, leading candidates to choose 'outdated GPU driver' instead of recognizing that the error message explicitly points to memory exhaustion, not driver version issues.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The batch size is too large for the GPU memory
The error 'CUDA_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY' indicates that the GPU memory has been exhausted during training. In TensorFlow, the batch size directly determines how many samples are processed simultaneously on the GPU; a batch size that is too large will exceed the available GPU memory, causing this specific CUDA error. Reducing the batch size is the standard fix for this issue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The S3 bucket is in a different region
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region access would cause network errors, not CUDA memory.
- ✓
The batch size is too large for the GPU memory
Why this is correct
Large batch sizes can exceed GPU memory, causing out-of-memory errors.
- ✗
The GPU driver is outdated
Why it's wrong here
Outdated drivers typically cause compatibility errors, not out-of-memory.
- ✗
The training script has a memory leak on CPU
Why it's wrong here
CPU memory leaks would not cause CUDA errors.
- ✗
The instance type does not have enough CPU cores
Why it's wrong here
CUDA errors are GPU-specific, not CPU.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.