Databricks-DA-Assoc Managing Data Practice Question
An analyst queries a view `main.ops.active_shipments` and receives a row-level filtered result, but the view's definition does not contain a WHERE clause. The analyst has SELECT on the view and on the base table. What most likely explains the filtered output?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the filter must be written in the view definition, when Unity Catalog row filters on the base table apply automatically.
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
✓
A row filter function is attached to the base table, and the view inherits the filter because it reads the base table at query time.
Row filters in Unity Catalog are attached to tables and evaluated on every read, including reads performed through views. Since a standard view re-runs its definition against the base table, the base table's row filter silently restricts the rows returned, even though the view's own SQL has no WHERE clause. Column masks alter values, not row counts, and time travel returns different table versions rather than predicate-filtered subsets.
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 analyst's group has a column mask applied to the view that removes rows where the masked column is null.
Why it's wrong here
Column masks transform values within a column; they do not remove rows from the result set. A mask might return nulls or obfuscated values, but it would not cause entire rows to disappear. Row reduction is the role of row filters, which are attached to tables, not column masks on views.
- ✓
A row filter function is attached to the base table, and the view inherits the filter because it reads the base table at query time.
Why this is correct
Row filters in Unity Catalog are attached to tables and apply whenever the table is read, including through views. Because a standard view re-executes its definition against the base table, the attached row filter is evaluated and silently restricts rows. The filter is invisible in the view's SQL text, which explains why the view definition appears to lack a WHERE clause.
- ✗
The view was created with a row filter using the CREATE VIEW ... WITH ROW FILTER syntax, but the filter text is hidden from SHOW CREATE TABLE output.
Why it's wrong here
Row filters are attached to tables, not defined inline on views in Unity Catalog, so a view cannot carry its own WITH ROW FILTER clause. SHOW CREATE TABLE does not hide filter definitions either. The observed behavior is better explained by a filter on the underlying base table that the view reads.
- ✗
Delta Lake time travel is enabled on the view, so the analyst is reading an older snapshot that contains fewer rows.
Why it's wrong here
Time travel applies to Delta tables, not to standard views, and it does not filter rows based on a predicate; it returns a different table version. A view querying a table always resolves to the current version unless the SQL explicitly specifies a version or timestamp. Time travel also would not produce a consistent predicate-like reduction.
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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
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