MLS-C01 Exploratory Data Analysis Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:ListBucket"
],
"Resource": [
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-bucket/*",
"arn:aws:s3:::my-data-bucket"
]
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"athena:StartQueryExecution",
"athena:GetQueryResults"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}Refer to the exhibit. A data scientist is unable to query a table in Amazon Athena that is located in the 'my-data-bucket' S3 bucket. The IAM policy shown is attached to the scientist's role. What is the most likely reason for the failure?
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 policy does not allow s3:PutObject to write query results to an S3 bucket.
Athena queries require permissions to write query results to an S3 bucket, typically via 's3:PutObject' on an output location. The policy only allows 's3:GetObject' and 's3:ListBucket' on the data bucket, but lacks any 's3:PutObject' permission, causing the failure. Option A is incorrect because the policy does not reference any KMS actions. Option B is incorrect because 'athena:StartQueryExecution' is implicitly allowed (not denied), though it doesn't appear in the policy; Athena actions are not shown but the failure is due to S3 write permissions. Option C is incorrect because 's3:GetObject' is explicitly allowed on the bucket.
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 decrypting data encrypted with AWS KMS.
Why it's wrong here
No KMS actions are mentioned, but the policy does not prevent decryption either; the error is likely missing S3 write.
- ✗
The policy does not allow athena:StartQueryExecution.
Why it's wrong here
athena:StartQueryExecution is allowed.
- ✗
The policy does not allow s3:GetObject on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
s3:GetObject is allowed.
- ✓
The policy does not allow s3:PutObject to write query results to an S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
Athena writes results to S3, requiring s3:PutObject.
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.