The correct answer is to increase the Timeout property to 240 minutes. This resolves the failure because the AWS Glue job is being terminated after 2 hours, yet the expected runtime is 3 hours; by setting the timeout to 240 minutes (4 hours), you provide a sufficient buffer for the job to process the large dataset without premature termination. On the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate MLA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how CloudFormation can override default Glue job settings—the default timeout is 2880 minutes (48 hours), but a custom template often sets a lower value, creating a common trap where candidates overlook the explicit configuration. A key memory tip is to remember that Glue job timeout is measured in minutes, not hours, so always convert your expected runtime into minutes and add a safety margin to avoid silent failures.
MLA-C01 Data Preparation for Machine Learning Practice Question
This MLA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data preparation for machine learning. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer deploys this Glue job via CloudFormation. When running, the job fails with a timeout after 2 hours. The job processes a large dataset and expected to take 3 hours. Which change would resolve the issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Increase the Timeout property to 240 minutes
The Glue job failed due to a timeout after 2 hours, but the expected runtime is 3 hours. The default timeout for AWS Glue jobs is 2880 minutes (48 hours), but the CloudFormation template likely set a lower value. Increasing the Timeout property to 240 minutes (4 hours) provides enough time for the job to complete without being prematurely terminated.
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.
✗
Increase NumberOfWorkers to 20
Why it's wrong here
Adding workers may reduce execution time but the immediate failure is due to the timeout limit, not performance.
✗
Set MaxRetries to 3
Why it's wrong here
Retries do not extend the timeout; the job will fail again after retrying with the same timeout.
✓
Increase the Timeout property to 240 minutes
Why this is correct
Increasing the timeout directly addresses the failure caused by the 120-minute limit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change WorkerType to G.2X
Why it's wrong here
Faster workers may reduce runtime but do not change the timeout limit.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
AWS often tests the distinction between performance-related fixes (increasing workers or changing worker type) versus configuration-related fixes (timeout), leading candidates to mistakenly choose options that improve speed rather than addressing the explicit timeout limit.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Glue jobs have a configurable Timeout property (in minutes) that defaults to 2880 minutes (48 hours) when not specified in CloudFormation. If the template explicitly sets a lower timeout (e.g., 120 minutes), the job is killed by the Glue service after that period, regardless of whether it's still processing. The job's actual runtime of 3 hours exceeds the 2-hour timeout, so increasing the timeout to at least 180 minutes (or 240 for safety) is the direct fix. Under the hood, Glue uses Apache Spark, and the timeout is enforced at the job level by the Glue service, not by Spark itself.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Data Preparation for Machine Learning — This question tests Data Preparation for Machine Learning — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Increase the Timeout property to 240 minutes — The Glue job failed due to a timeout after 2 hours, but the expected runtime is 3 hours. The default timeout for AWS Glue jobs is 2880 minutes (48 hours), but the CloudFormation template likely set a lower value. Increasing the Timeout property to 240 minutes (4 hours) provides enough time for the job to complete without being prematurely terminated.
What should I do if I get this MLA-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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Question Discussion
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