Databricks-DA-Assoc Understanding the Databricks Platform Practice Question
Exhibit
Error: [UNAUTHORIZED_ACCESS] User does not have permission to access the catalog 'sales_data'.
Refer to the exhibit. What is the most appropriate action to resolve this access issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest rewriting the SQL query or recreating the table, missing that the underlying root cause is a missing Unity Catalog privilege grant.
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
✓
Request the workspace administrator to grant appropriate privileges in Unity Catalog.
Refer to the exhibit. This error indicates a failure in the Unity Catalog permission model. When a user lacks the necessary 'USE' or 'SELECT' grants on a catalog, they are blocked from accessing any data within it. Understanding how Unity Catalog manages access at the catalog, schema, and table levels is vital for analysts to troubleshoot access issues and comply with organizational security policies.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Change the cluster configuration to use a different Spark version.
Why it's wrong here
Access permissions in Unity Catalog are governed by authorization policies, not the Spark version. Changing the runtime will not bypass security controls. The issue is an identity and access management problem, not a software version compatibility issue. The administrator must grant the correct permissions to the user identity.
- ✓
Request the workspace administrator to grant appropriate privileges in Unity Catalog.
Why this is correct
Unity Catalog uses a centralized grant-based permission model. The administrator must explicitly grant the 'USE CATALOG' privilege to the user for the 'sales_data' catalog. This is the correct procedure for resolving access errors, ensuring that security remains intact while allowing the analyst to perform their required data operations.
- ✗
Move the data to a local file in DBFS.
Why it's wrong here
Moving data to DBFS circumvents the governance model, which is a major security violation. It also makes the data inaccessible to other users and breaks the centralized cataloging architecture. Analysts should always work within the defined governance framework, not bypass it to circumvent errors triggered by legitimate security controls.
- ✗
Re-create the table in a different schema.
Why it's wrong here
Re-creating the table does not solve the underlying lack of permissions on the catalog itself. If the user lacks access to the parent container, they will likely encounter similar issues regardless of where they create a new table. Permission issues must be addressed through proper authorization grants, not data movement.
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.