Analysts need occasional SQL queries over CSV/Parquet files in S3 — no database to load, no servers, pay per query. Which service?
A.Amazon Redshift
Redshift needs a provisioned cluster — overkill for occasional queries.
B.Amazon Athena — serverless SQL directly over S3
Correct. Serverless, per-query, zero loading.
C.Amazon RDS
OLTP database — wrong workload.
D.Amazon EMR
EMR is cluster-based processing, not ad-hoc SQL.
Why this answer
Athena queries S3 data in place (via Glue Data Catalog schemas), billed per TB scanned — the default for ad-hoc lake analytics. Redshift is for high-concurrency repeated analytical workloads; the exam contrasts them constantly.
Correct answer: B · Last reviewed 2026-11-03
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Answer without seeing the solution first in the Data Stores & Lakes practice session.
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