model_a contains an in-model config explicitly setting:

{{ config(materialized = "view") }}

In dbt, in-model config overrides project-level config, including folder-level defaults. Even though the staging/ folder is configured as:

staging:

+materialized: ephemeral

…this does not apply because the in-file config has higher precedence.

So model_a is materialized as a view.

A view in dbt is not persisted as data; instead, it stores the SQL definition. When a downstream query selects from that view, the database executes the underlying SQL at query time. As a result:

Queries run slower than selecting from a table, because the underlying computation happens each time.

But the data is always up to date, because views read directly from the current underlying tables.

This matches Option C.

Why the other options are wrong

A & D describe table behavior (faster queries, data only as fresh as last run). model_a is not materialized as a table.

B is incorrect because views are fully queryable; no error occurs.