- A
Store all data in S3 Standard, then move to S3 Glacier after 30 days using a lifecycle policy
Why wrong: Glacier has retrieval delays that impact query performance for older data, even if infrequent.
- B
Store recent partitions in S3 Standard, older partitions in S3 One Zone-IA
Why wrong: One Zone-IA is cheaper but less durable and may not be cost-optimal for infrequent queries; Intelligent-Tiering is better.
- C
Keep all data in S3 Standard because query performance is critical
Why wrong: Standard is more expensive for infrequently accessed older data.
- D
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for the entire data lake
Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data between access tiers based on usage, optimizing cost without retrieval delays.
Question 1,012 of 1,755
MLS-C01 Data Engineering Practice Question
This MLS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data engineering. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 data engineering team is designing a data lake on Amazon S3. Raw data is ingested in JSON format and must be partitioned by year, month, and day. The team expects high query performance for recent data but infrequent queries for older data. The data is immutable. Which storage tier configuration minimizes costs while meeting performance requirements?
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
✓
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for the entire data lake
Option D is correct because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between access tiers (frequent, infrequent, and archive instant access) based on changing access patterns, without performance impact or lifecycle management overhead. This matches the workload: recent data is queried frequently (automatic frequent tier), older data is queried rarely (automatic infrequent/archive instant tiers), and data is immutable, so no write/delete penalties apply. It minimizes cost by charging only for the tiers actually used, while maintaining millisecond latency for all tiers.
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.
- ✗
Store all data in S3 Standard, then move to S3 Glacier after 30 days using a lifecycle policy
Why it's wrong here
Glacier has retrieval delays that impact query performance for older data, even if infrequent.
- ✗
Store recent partitions in S3 Standard, older partitions in S3 One Zone-IA
Why it's wrong here
One Zone-IA is cheaper but less durable and may not be cost-optimal for infrequent queries; Intelligent-Tiering is better.
- ✗
Keep all data in S3 Standard because query performance is critical
Why it's wrong here
Standard is more expensive for infrequently accessed older data.
- ✓
Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for the entire data lake
Why this is correct
Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves data between access tiers based on usage, optimizing cost without retrieval delays.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume S3 Standard is required for all queryable data, overlooking that S3 Intelligent-Tiering provides the same low-latency performance as S3 Standard for all tiers (including Infrequent Access and Archive Instant Access) while automatically reducing storage costs for infrequently accessed data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 Intelligent-Tiering monitors access patterns at the object level (4KB granularity) and moves objects between the Frequent Access tier ($0.023/GB) and Infrequent Access tier ($0.0125/GB) after 30 consecutive days of no access, and optionally to Archive Instant Access tier ($0.004/GB) after 90 days. The monitoring and automation incur a small monthly monitoring fee ($0.0025 per 1,000 objects), which is negligible for large datasets. This is ideal for data lakes with unpredictable or shifting access patterns, as it avoids the operational burden of writing custom lifecycle rules and ensures cost optimization without compromising query performance.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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 |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MLS-C01 question test?
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: Use S3 Intelligent-Tiering for the entire data lake — Option D is correct because S3 Intelligent-Tiering automatically moves objects between access tiers (frequent, infrequent, and archive instant access) based on changing access patterns, without performance impact or lifecycle management overhead. This matches the workload: recent data is queried frequently (automatic frequent tier), older data is queried rarely (automatic infrequent/archive instant tiers), and data is immutable, so no write/delete penalties apply. It minimizes cost by charging only for the tiers actually used, while maintaining millisecond latency for all tiers.
What should I do if I get this MLS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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