COF-C03 Account Management and Data Governance Practice Question
Which of the following describes the correct order of precedence for role inheritance in Snowflake?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently reverse role inheritance direction, incorrectly assuming child roles inherit privileges from parent roles instead of the reverse.
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
✓
Parent roles inherit all privileges granted to their child roles.
Snowflake utilizes a hierarchical RBAC model where privileges are additive. When a role is granted to another role, the parent role inherits all privileges assigned to the child role. This design allows for the creation of functional roles that map to business units or job tasks, ensuring that permissions are managed efficiently and transparently throughout the entire organizational structure of the account.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Object-level privileges override role-level inheritance.
Why it's wrong here
Snowflake permissions are additive; there is no scenario where object-level privileges override or cancel out inherited privileges. All granted privileges are combined to form the effective set of permissions for a session, ensuring users always have the union of all their assigned and inherited rights.
- ✗
Privileges are inherited only from the ACCOUNTADMIN role.
Why it's wrong here
Role inheritance is a general feature available for all custom and system-defined roles in Snowflake. It is not exclusive to the ACCOUNTADMIN role. Any role can be granted to another role, allowing for the flexible construction of complex security hierarchies tailored to specific organizational needs.
- ✓
Parent roles inherit all privileges granted to their child roles.
Why this is correct
In Snowflake's hierarchical model, when a role is granted to another, the parent role automatically inherits all privileges assigned to the child role. This allows administrators to manage permissions efficiently by building chains of roles that correspond to the structural requirements of the organization's data access needs.
- ✗
Child roles always inherit the privileges of the parent role.
Why it's wrong here
Inheritance flows from the child to the parent, not the other way around. If Role A is granted to Role B, then Role B (the parent) inherits the privileges of Role A (the child). This directionality is fundamental for maintaining a secure and predictable access control architecture.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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.