COF-C03 Data Loading, Unloading, and Connectivity Practice Question
A data engineer loads JSON files from an external Azure stage into a table with a single VARIANT column. The JSON documents are newline-delimited, and each line is a separate object. Which file format type and option should be specified to correctly parse one JSON object per line?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is reaching for STRIP_OUTER_ARRAY by habit, when it only applies to a single JSON array and not to newline-delimited 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
✓
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = 'JSON') with the default settings
Snowflake's JSON file format parses newline-delimited JSON by default, treating each line as a distinct document and loading it as a row. No additional option is required for this common layout. STRIP_OUTER_ARRAY is only relevant when the file is a single JSON array, and other JSON options control field handling rather than record splitting.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = 'JSON') with STRIP_NULL_VALUES = TRUE
Why it's wrong here
STRIP_NULL_VALUES removes object fields whose value is null from the parsed output. It does not control how newline-delimited documents are split into rows and is irrelevant to the core parsing requirement. Using it would silently drop null fields, altering the data, while the per-line parsing would still occur by default, making this option both unnecessary and potentially harmful.
- ✗
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = 'JSON') with STRIP_OUTER_ARRAY = TRUE
Why it's wrong here
STRIP_OUTER_ARRAY removes the enclosing square brackets from a JSON array so its elements become individual rows. It is intended for a single JSON array spanning the file, not for newline-delimited objects. Applying it to newline-delimited JSON has no effect on the outer structure and does not address the per-line parsing requirement, so it is the wrong option here.
- ✗
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = 'CSV') with FIELD_DELIMITER = '\n'
Why it's wrong here
CSV format with a newline delimiter is not valid, since newline is the record separator by default and cannot also serve as the field delimiter. JSON content is structured with braces and quotes, not delimited fields, so CSV parsing would produce malformed output. This option misidentifies the file type and would fail to populate the VARIANT column correctly.
- ✓
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = 'JSON') with the default settings
Why this is correct
For newline-delimited JSON where each line is a complete object, the JSON file format with default settings parses each line as a separate document automatically. No special option is needed because Snowflake treats each newline-separated JSON value as its own record. This correctly loads one object per row into the VARIANT column without additional configuration.
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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.