COF-C03 Data Collaboration Practice Question
A consumer account has created a read-only database named SHARED_SALES from a provider's share and now wants to combine the shared tables with its own local table, LOCAL_REGIONS, in a single query. Which statement about this operation is accurate?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that read-only shared data cannot participate in joins with local tables, when read-only simply means the consumer cannot modify the shared objects.
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
✓
The consumer can join SHARED_SALES tables with LOCAL_REGIONS because the shared database is mounted as a normal read-only database in the consumer account.
A shared database created from a share is a read-only database in the consumer account, and read-only status does not prevent it from being queried alongside local objects. Consumers routinely join shared tables with their own data, as long as their role holds the needed privileges on both sides of the join.
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 consumer cannot join them because shared databases exist in a separate, isolated storage layer that cannot be referenced alongside local tables.
Why it's wrong here
Shared databases are not isolated from local SQL. They appear in the consumer account as read-only databases and can be referenced in joins, views, and CTEs alongside local objects. The storage layer distinction is irrelevant to the query engine, which resolves all referenced databases within the account context.
- ✗
The consumer can join them only if the provider grants SELECT on the local table through the share.
Why it's wrong here
Provider grants apply to objects the provider owns and places in the share; they cannot govern the consumer's own local table. The consumer's own role privileges control access to LOCAL_REGIONS. Requiring a provider grant for a consumer-owned table inverts how sharing authorization works.
- ✗
The consumer must first clone the shared tables into its own database before any join with local data is possible.
Why it's wrong here
Cloning shared objects is not required and is generally not permitted for shared objects. Consumers query shared tables directly in place. A clone would only be needed if the consumer wanted a mutable copy for its own writes, which is a separate design decision, not a prerequisite for joining shared data with local tables.
- ✓
The consumer can join SHARED_SALES tables with LOCAL_REGIONS because the shared database is mounted as a normal read-only database in the consumer account.
Why this is correct
Once a consumer creates a database from a share, that database behaves like any other database for read operations. The consumer can join shared tables with local tables in the same query, subject to USAGE privileges on both. Shared objects are read-only, but reading across databases in one statement is fully supported.
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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 Snowflake exam blueprint
This COF-C03 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Snowflake 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 COF-C03 exam.