COF-C03 Data Loading, Unloading, and Connectivity Practice Question
A data engineer is loading data from a local file system into a Snowflake table using the PUT command to an internal stage, followed by COPY INTO. The engineer notices that some rows are rejected due to data type mismatches. The engineer wants to capture the rejected records and continue loading valid rows. Which COPY INTO option should be used to achieve this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse VALIDATION_MODE with error handling during actual load; VALIDATION_MODE does not load data, it only validates.
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
✓
ON_ERROR = 'CONTINUE'
To load valid rows while capturing rejected records, ON_ERROR = 'CONTINUE' is the appropriate option. It allows the load to proceed, skipping erroneous rows, and the rejected records can be retrieved from the COPY_HISTORY or by using VALIDATION_MODE. Other options either skip the entire file, only validate, or abort the statement, none of which meet the requirement to continue loading valid rows.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ON_ERROR = 'SKIP_FILE'
Why it's wrong here
This option skips the entire file if any error is encountered. In this scenario, the engineer wants to load valid rows from the file, not skip the whole file. Skipping the file would result in no data being loaded from that file, which is not the desired outcome. Therefore, this does not meet the requirement to continue loading valid rows while capturing rejected records.
- ✓
ON_ERROR = 'CONTINUE'
Why this is correct
This is correct because ON_ERROR = 'CONTINUE' instructs COPY INTO to skip errors and load all valid rows, while capturing rejected records in the load metadata. The rejected rows can be queried using the VALIDATION_MODE or by inspecting the COPY_HISTORY view. This allows the load to proceed without failing entirely, which is exactly what the engineer needs to continue loading valid rows and later analyze the rejected ones.
- ✗
ON_ERROR = 'ABORT_STATEMENT'
Why it's wrong here
ABORT_STATEMENT is the default behavior and aborts the entire COPY statement if any error occurs. This would prevent any rows from being loaded if there is a single error, which is the opposite of what the engineer wants. The engineer needs to continue loading valid rows despite errors, so this option is incorrect.
- ✗
VALIDATION_MODE = 'RETURN_ERRORS'
Why it's wrong here
VALIDATION_MODE is used to validate the data without loading it. It returns errors but does not actually load any data. The engineer wants to load valid rows and capture rejected ones, not just validate. Using VALIDATION_MODE would not load any rows, so it fails to meet the requirement of continuing the load. It is useful for testing but not for this production scenario.
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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.