Databricks-DA-Assoc Understanding the Databricks Platform Practice Question
A data analyst has a Databricks SQL dashboard that reads a table in the 'finance' catalog. The dashboard works for the analyst but shows an error for a colleague who has SELECT on the table. The colleague lacks USE CATALOG on 'finance' and USE SCHEMA on the containing schema. What is the most likely cause of the error the colleague sees?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming SELECT on a table is sufficient, when Unity Catalog also requires traversal privileges on the enclosing catalog and schema.
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 colleague cannot traverse the catalog and schema, so Unity Catalog denies resolution of the table even though SELECT is granted
Unity Catalog resolves objects through their full three-part name, which requires USE CATALOG on the catalog and USE SCHEMA on the schema before SELECT on the table is even evaluated. The colleague holds SELECT but lacks the traversal privileges, so name resolution fails and the dashboard query errors until those grants are added.
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 dashboard was created with the analyst's credentials embedded, so it always runs as the analyst
Why it's wrong here
Databricks SQL dashboards run queries using the viewer's credentials when shared, not the creator's, so credential embedding is not the cause here. The colleague's error stems from missing traversal privileges on the catalog and schema, not from how the dashboard authenticates to the warehouse.
- ✗
The colleague is connected to a different SQL warehouse that cannot reach the finance catalog
Why it's wrong here
A SQL warehouse does not determine catalog reachability; Unity Catalog governs access regardless of which warehouse runs the query. Since the colleague already has SELECT on the table, the missing USE CATALOG and USE SCHEMA privileges are the real cause, not the choice of warehouse.
- ✗
The table is a view that references tables the colleague cannot access
Why it's wrong here
The scenario states the dashboard reads a table, not a view, and the colleague's missing privileges are explicitly USE CATALOG and USE SCHEMA. So the failure comes from inability to traverse the catalog hierarchy, not from an underlying view dependency that would be irrelevant to a base table.
- ✓
The colleague cannot traverse the catalog and schema, so Unity Catalog denies resolution of the table even though SELECT is granted
Why this is correct
Unity Catalog requires USE CATALOG on the parent catalog and USE SCHEMA on the parent schema in addition to SELECT on the table. Without those traversal privileges, the colleague cannot resolve the table's fully qualified name, so the dashboard query fails despite the SELECT grant, which explains the error exactly.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Databricks exam blueprint
This Databricks-DA-Assoc practice question is part of Courseiva's free Databricks 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 Databricks-DA-Assoc exam.