COF-C03 Data Collaboration Practice Question
A retail provider shares a secure view that joins a table in its SALES database with a table in its INVENTORY database. A consumer reports that queries against the shared view fail with an authorization error, even though the view itself is granted to the share. The provider confirms both underlying tables exist and the view definition is valid. Which issue most likely explains the failure?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is granting only the view to the share and forgetting that a cross-database view also requires USAGE on each referenced database and schema.
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 provider did not grant USAGE on the databases and schemas containing the underlying tables to the share.
When a shared view references objects in multiple databases, the share must carry USAGE on every database and schema that contains a referenced object, plus SELECT on the view. Granting only the view leaves the underlying containers inaccessible, so the consumer's query cannot be authorized. Adding the missing container grants resolves the error without changing the view.
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 must be granted the ACCOUNTADMIN role to query cross-database views.
Why it's wrong here
Consumers never need ACCOUNTADMIN to query shared objects; that role is scoped to the consumer's own account and cannot be granted by the provider. Shared access is controlled entirely by grants the provider places on the share, so elevating the consumer's role would not resolve a missing privilege on the provider side.
- ✗
The share was not associated with the consumer account.
Why it's wrong here
If the share were not associated with the consumer account, the consumer could not see the shared database at all, and the error would occur before any view query. The scenario states the view is granted and the consumer queries it, so account association is already in place; the failure is specific to the view's dependencies.
- ✗
Secure views cannot reference objects in more than one database.
Why it's wrong here
Secure views absolutely can reference multiple databases; the restriction is about sharing the required container privileges, not about the view's ability to join across databases. This distractor invents a limitation that does not exist, which would mislead a provider into redesigning a valid cross-database view unnecessarily.
- ✓
The provider did not grant USAGE on the databases and schemas containing the underlying tables to the share.
Why this is correct
A secure view references objects across two databases. For the view to execute, the share must include USAGE on each database and schema that holds the referenced tables, in addition to the SELECT grant on the view. Without those container-level grants, the view cannot resolve its dependencies and queries fail with an authorization error.
Visual reference
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 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.