MLS-C01 Exploratory Data Analysis Practice Question
A data scientist needs to understand the distribution of a numeric feature in a dataset stored in Amazon S3. Which AWS service can be used to run a quick exploratory query without setting up a server?
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
✓
Amazon Athena
Amazon Athena allows serverless SQL queries on data in S3. Option A (Amazon Redshift) is a data warehouse; Option B (Amazon EMR) requires cluster setup; Option D (AWS Glue) is for ETL.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon Redshift
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Redshift is a data warehouse, not serverless for ad-hoc queries.
- ✗
Amazon EMR
Why it's wrong here
Amazon EMR requires cluster setup and is not serverless.
- ✓
Amazon Athena
Why this is correct
Amazon Athena is serverless and allows SQL queries directly on data in S3.
- ✗
AWS Glue
Why it's wrong here
AWS Glue is an ETL service, not for ad-hoc queries.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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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.