This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 for a data lake. They implement a folder structure with access control lists (ACLs). A new data scientist needs to read data from a specific folder but not write to it. Which ACL permission should be assigned?
Execute
Execute on a folder allows traversing; combined with Read on files allows reading data.
Modify
Why wrong: Modify includes write and delete, which is more than needed.
Write
Why wrong: Write allows writing but not reading or traversing.
Read
Why wrong: Read on a folder allows listing contents but not reading files; Execute is also needed.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Execute
Execute (X) permission on a folder in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 is required to traverse the folder and access its contents. Without Execute, a user cannot list or read files inside the folder, even if Read permission is granted. Since the data scientist only needs to read data (not write), assigning Execute on the folder and Read on the files allows traversal and read access without write capability.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Execute
Why this is correct
Execute on a folder allows traversing; combined with Read on files allows reading data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Modify
Why it's wrong here
Modify includes write and delete, which is more than needed.
Write
Why it's wrong here
Write allows writing but not reading or traversing.
Read
Why it's wrong here
Read on a folder allows listing contents but not reading files; Execute is also needed.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume Read permission on a folder is sufficient to read its contents, but without Execute permission, the folder cannot be traversed, making the data inaccessible.
Detailed technical explanation
In POSIX-based ACLs used by Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, folder permissions are hierarchical: Read (r) allows listing contents, Write (w) allows creating/deleting children, and Execute (x) allows traversing the folder. To read a file, a user needs Execute on every parent folder in the path and Read on the file itself. This is enforced at the storage layer via the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) interface, and Azure RBAC roles (e.g., Storage Blob Data Reader) can also override ACLs if assigned at a higher scope.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Describe core data concepts — This question tests Describe core data concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Execute — Execute (X) permission on a folder in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 is required to traverse the folder and access its contents. Without Execute, a user cannot list or read files inside the folder, even if Read permission is granted. Since the data scientist only needs to read data (not write), assigning Execute on the folder and Read on the files allows traversal and read access without write capability.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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