COF-C03 Account Management and Data Governance Practice Question
A security administrator for a Snowflake account needs to grant the role FINANCE_ANALYST to a user named Priya. The administrator also wants Priya to be able to grant FINANCE_ANALYST to other users in the future. Which SQL statement should the administrator execute?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that granting a role automatically lets the grantee grant it to others; delegation requires the explicit WITH GRANT OPTION clause.
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
✓
GRANT ROLE FINANCE_ANALYST TO USER priya WITH GRANT OPTION;
Delegating role administration requires the WITH GRANT OPTION clause on a GRANT ROLE statement directed at the user. This lets the grantee grant that specific role onward without needing SECURITYADMIN or USERADMIN. Simply granting the role or altering the default role does not confer grant authority.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
GRANT ROLE FINANCE_ANALYST TO USER priya;
Why it's wrong here
This grants the role but omits WITH GRANT OPTION, so Priya cannot grant FINANCE_ANALYST to others. The scenario explicitly requires Priya to be able to grant the role later, making this insufficient despite being a valid role grant.
- ✗
ALTER USER priya SET DEFAULT_ROLE = FINANCE_ANALYST;
Why it's wrong here
ALTER USER SET DEFAULT_ROLE only changes the default active role for the user's sessions; it does not grant the role or any ability to grant it to others. Priya would still lack the role and the grant option entirely.
- ✗
GRANT ROLE FINANCE_ANALYST TO ROLE priya;
Why it's wrong here
This statement incorrectly treats priya as a role, not a user. Snowflake role grants target either USER or ROLE, and priya is a user here, so this syntax fails and does not satisfy the requirement to delegate the grant.
- ✓
GRANT ROLE FINANCE_ANALYST TO USER priya WITH GRANT OPTION;
Why this is correct
This statement grants the role to the user and includes WITH GRANT OPTION, which authorizes Priya to subsequently grant that same role to other users or roles. Snowflake supports this clause for role grants, enabling delegated administration without assigning a broader security role.
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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
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