Databricks-DA-Assoc Managing Data Practice Question
An analyst has a CSV file at `abfss://raw@storage.dfs.core.windows.net/exports/2024_orders.csv` and wants to query it directly from Databricks SQL without loading it into a Delta table. Which approach is appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming a raw cloud storage path can be selected from directly or loaded with COPY INTO when the goal is to query without loading.
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 a read_files table-valued function in a query, for example SELECT * FROM read_files('abfss://raw@storage.dfs.core.windows.net/exports/2024_orders.csv', format => 'csv');
The read_files table-valued function is designed to query external files in place, returning a relation you can select from without creating a persistent object. It supports CSV and other formats and accepts options for headers and delimiters. COPY INTO writes into Delta tables, foreign tables are not a Databricks SQL construct, and a temporary view cannot select from a bare storage path without a file-reading function.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a foreign table with CREATE FOREIGN TABLE and query it with standard SQL.
Why it's wrong here
CREATE FOREIGN TABLE is not a Databricks SQL statement; foreign tables are associated with external data sources in other database systems. Databricks exposes external files through external tables, views over files, or direct file queries. Using this syntax would produce an error and the analyst would not be able to query the CSV.
- ✓
Use a read_files table-valued function in a query, for example SELECT * FROM read_files('abfss://raw@storage.dfs.core.windows.net/exports/2024_orders.csv', format => 'csv');
Why this is correct
The read_files table-valued function lets Databricks SQL read files directly from cloud storage without creating a table or view. It supports CSV, JSON, Parquet, and other formats, and you can pass options such as header and delimiter. This satisfies the requirement to query the CSV in place without loading it into Delta.
- ✗
Run COPY INTO with the file path as the target and then query the resulting table.
Why it's wrong here
COPY INTO loads data from files into an existing Delta table; it does not create a queryable object by itself and requires a target table to be defined first. It also materializes the data, which contradicts the goal of querying the file without loading it. The CSV path would be the source, not the target, of a COPY INTO statement.
- ✗
Create a temporary view with CREATE TEMPORARY VIEW csv_data AS SELECT * FROM 'abfss://raw@storage.dfs.core.windows.net/exports/2024_orders.csv';
Why it's wrong here
Databricks SQL cannot select directly from a raw storage path as if it were a table; the path must be wrapped in a file-reading function such as read_files or referenced through an external table. This statement would fail to resolve the path as a relation. A temporary view could be defined over read_files, but not over the bare path.
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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.