The correct answer is to grant the IAM role permissions for Athena actions, Glue Data Catalog actions, and S3 read access. This is the minimum set because Athena itself is a serverless query service that does not store data; it reads data directly from S3 and relies on the Glue Data Catalog for table metadata and schema definitions. Without read access to S3, Athena cannot access the raw data, and without Glue Catalog permissions, it cannot resolve table structures or run queries. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of service boundaries and least-privilege access, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly add unnecessary write or execution permissions. A common trap is assuming Athena needs S3 write access for query results, but that is only required if you explicitly configure a query result location. Remember the memory tip: “Athena reads, Glue catalogs, S3 stores—no writing, no executing, no streaming.”
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 team stores raw data in S3 and uses a Glue Data Catalog for metadata. They want to allow data scientists to query the data with Amazon Athena using their existing IAM roles. What is the MINIMUM set of permissions required?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Grant the IAM role permissions for Athena actions, Glue Data Catalog actions, and S3 read access.
Option C is correct because Athena needs permissions to query the Glue Data Catalog and to read data from S3. Option A is wrong because write permissions to S3 are not needed for querying. Option B is wrong because Glue job execution is separate. Option D is wrong because Kinesis permissions are irrelevant.
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.
✗
Grant the IAM role permissions for Athena, Glue, and S3 (read and write).
Why it's wrong here
Write permissions are excessive; only read is needed for querying.
✓
Grant the IAM role permissions for Athena actions, Glue Data Catalog actions, and S3 read access.
Why this is correct
Athena requires GetTable, GetDatabase, etc. from Glue, and GetObject from S3.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Grant the IAM role permissions for Athena and Amazon Redshift Spectrum.
Why it's wrong here
Redshift Spectrum is not used; only Athena and Glue are needed.
✗
Grant the IAM role permissions for Athena and Amazon Kinesis.
Why it's wrong here
Kinesis is not needed for querying static data in S3.
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: Grant the IAM role permissions for Athena actions, Glue Data Catalog actions, and S3 read access. — Option C is correct because Athena needs permissions to query the Glue Data Catalog and to read data from S3. Option A is wrong because write permissions to S3 are not needed for querying. Option B is wrong because Glue job execution is separate. Option D is wrong because Kinesis permissions are irrelevant.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.