Databricks-DE-Assoc Governance and Security Practice Question
A data engineer needs to allow a service principal to read data from a Unity Catalog table `sales.orders` and also write to a volume `sales.raw_data`. Which set of privileges should be granted to the service principal?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse READ VOLUME with WRITE VOLUME, or granting MODIFY instead of SELECT on the table, leading to over-privilege.
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
✓
SELECT on table sales.orders, and WRITE VOLUME on volume sales.raw_data.
To read from a Unity Catalog table, the service principal needs SELECT on the table. To write to a volume, it needs WRITE VOLUME on the volume. These privileges are the minimal required to perform the specified actions, adhering to the principle of least privilege. Other options either grant insufficient access to the volume or excessive access to the table.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ALL PRIVILEGES on table sales.orders, and WRITE VOLUME on volume sales.raw_data.
Why it's wrong here
ALL PRIVILEGES on the table grants full control, including the ability to drop the table and manage permissions, which is far beyond the required read access. This is a serious over-privilege. WRITE VOLUME is correct, but the table privilege is inappropriate for the stated need.
- ✓
SELECT on table sales.orders, and WRITE VOLUME on volume sales.raw_data.
Why this is correct
SELECT on the table grants read access to its data. WRITE VOLUME on the volume grants the ability to write files to that volume. Together, these privileges meet the requirement for the service principal to read from the table and write to the volume. This combination is precise and follows the principle of least privilege.
- ✗
SELECT on table sales.orders, and READ VOLUME on volume sales.raw_data.
Why it's wrong here
READ VOLUME allows reading files from the volume, but the requirement is to write to the volume. Therefore, this privilege does not grant the necessary write access. While SELECT on the table is correct, the volume privilege is insufficient, so this set does not fulfill the requirement.
- ✗
MODIFY on table sales.orders, and WRITE VOLUME on volume sales.raw_data.
Why it's wrong here
MODIFY on the table allows updating, deleting, and inserting data, but the requirement is only to read from the table. Granting MODIFY would over-privilege the service principal, violating least privilege. WRITE VOLUME is correct for the volume, but the table privilege is excessive and unnecessary.
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-DE-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-DE-Assoc exam.