The answer is that the IAM policy is missing permission for athena:StartQueryExecution on the specific Athena workgroup. This is because Athena requires explicit workgroup-level authorization for running queries, even if the user has database and S3 permissions; without the workgroup resource specified in the policy, the StartQueryExecution action is denied. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty MLS-C01 exam, this tests your understanding of how Athena’s resource-based authorization interacts with IAM policies, often appearing as a trap where candidates assume S3 or Glue permissions alone are sufficient. A common memory tip is “workgroup gate” — think of the workgroup as a locked door that needs its own key (the workgroup ARN in the policy) before any query can pass through.
MLS-C01 Data Engineering Practice Question
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data engineering. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
An IAM policy attached to a SageMaker notebook role is shown. The data engineer tries to run an Athena query on a table in the 'my_database' Glue database. The query fails with an access denied error. What is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The policy does not allow s3:PutObject on the query results location.
Why wrong: The policy allows s3:PutObject on the bucket, so writing results should work.
B
The policy does not allow glue:GetTable on the specific database.
Why wrong: The policy allows glue:GetTable and glue:GetDatabase on all resources.
C
The policy does not allow athena:StartQueryExecution on the Athena workgroup.
Athena requires workgroup-level permissions; the policy grants StartQueryExecution on all resources, but if a workgroup is specified, additional permissions may be needed.
D
The policy does not allow s3:ListBucket on the bucket.
Why wrong: ListBucket is not required for querying; only GetObject is needed.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy does not allow athena:StartQueryExecution on the Athena workgroup.
Option D is correct because the policy does not grant permission to the Athena workgroup. Athena requires workgroup permissions for StartQueryExecution. Option A is wrong because the policy allows GetObject. Option B is wrong because the policy allows GetTable and GetDatabase. Option C is wrong because S3 actions are allowed on the bucket.
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.
✗
The policy does not allow s3:PutObject on the query results location.
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows s3:PutObject on the bucket, so writing results should work.
✗
The policy does not allow glue:GetTable on the specific database.
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows glue:GetTable and glue:GetDatabase on all resources.
✓
The policy does not allow athena:StartQueryExecution on the Athena workgroup.
Why this is correct
Athena requires workgroup-level permissions; the policy grants StartQueryExecution on all resources, but if a workgroup is specified, additional permissions may be needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy does not allow s3:ListBucket on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
ListBucket is not required for querying; only GetObject is needed.
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: The policy does not allow athena:StartQueryExecution on the Athena workgroup. — Option D is correct because the policy does not grant permission to the Athena workgroup. Athena requires workgroup permissions for StartQueryExecution. Option A is wrong because the policy allows GetObject. Option B is wrong because the policy allows GetTable and GetDatabase. Option C is wrong because S3 actions are allowed on the bucket.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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