Simulate the real Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam with full-length timed sessions. Questions drawn proportionally from all 7 official blueprint domains — the same mix you'll face on test day.
Simulate real exam conditions
For the most realistic PCDE simulation, start a 60 or 120-question session, put away all notes, set a timer matching the real exam duration (120 minutes), and commit to each answer before moving forward. This trains the time management and decision-making skills the real exam tests.
This free PCDE mock exam uses the same question distribution as the real Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam. Each session draws questions proportionally from all 7 official blueprint domains published by Google Cloud, so the topic mix you see accurately reflects what you'll face on test day.
PCDE Domain Distribution
Design innovative, scalable, and highly available cloud database solutions
Manage a solution that can span multiple database technologies
Migrate data solutions
Deploy scalable and highly available databases in Google Cloud
Plan and manage database infrastructure
Design and implement database schemas
Monitor and optimize database performance
Every question is written by certified engineers against the 2026 PCDE exam objectives. These are original practice questions — not dumps — so you build real understanding rather than memorising answers.
Both the mock exam and practice test use the same question bank. The difference is in how you use them — and when to use each during your PCDE study plan.
Practice test — for learning
Use the PCDE practice test when you are studying a domain. Answer questions, read every explanation immediately, and build understanding. Do 10–30 questions per domain per session. This is your primary study tool for the first 4 weeks.
Go to practice test →Mock exam — for simulation
Use the PCDE mock exam in the final 1–2 weeks before your test date. Complete a 60 or 120-question session without stopping, manage your time, then review all results at the end. This builds exam-day stamina and surfaces final weak spots.
Start 120-question mock →Try these sample questions from the mock exam bank. Commit to an answer before revealing the explanation.
A company needs to store petabytes of time-series IoT sensor data and query it with single-digit millisecond latency at millions of reads per second. The data has a simple key-value structure with timestamps. Which Google Cloud database is MOST appropriate?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
You are designing a schema for Cloud Spanner and need to avoid write hotspots. Which primary key design strategy is recommended?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
Your team manages a Cloud SQL for MySQL instance used by a critical application. You need to ensure the instance is recoverable to any point within the last 4 days, with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of under 5 minutes. What configuration steps are required?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A company is migrating their on-premises MySQL database to Cloud SQL using Database Migration Service (DMS). The source database is MySQL 5.7, and the target is a Cloud SQL MySQL 8.0 instance. The migration job is set to continuous, but after the full dump phase, the CDC phase keeps failing with the error 'binary log not found'. What is the most likely cause?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A company needs to store petabytes of time-series IoT sensor data and query it with single-digit millisecond latency at millions of reads per second. The data has a simple key-value structure with timestamps. Which Google Cloud database is MOST appropriate?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A company runs a production Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance used by a web application. The instance experiences intermittent latency spikes during peak hours. You need to diagnose the cause without downtime. Which tool should you use first?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. The database is 2 TB in size and the network bandwidth to Google Cloud is limited to 500 Mbps. The migration window is 48 hours. Which migration strategy should the Database Engineer recommend?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A financial services company uses Cloud Spanner for transaction processing. They need to ensure zero downtime during a schema change that adds a new column with a default value to a large table. Which approach should the Database Engineer take?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A company is designing a database schema for a global e-commerce platform. Orders are created with high frequency, and order status updates occur frequently. The team needs to choose a primary key strategy for the orders table in Spanner. Which approach minimizes hot-spotting?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
A team is migrating an on-premises PostgreSQL database to Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. The existing schema uses a large number of foreign key constraints and triggers for data validation. The team wants to minimize migration effort and maintain data integrity. Which schema design approach is most appropriate for Cloud SQL?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
You are managing a Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance that is experiencing high CPU usage and slow query performance. You notice that the database has a high number of idle-in-transaction connections. Which immediate action should you take to reduce CPU load without disrupting active transactions?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation
Answer all 11 questions to see your domain score breakdown
Sitting the PCDE under real exam conditions is a skill in itself. Candidates who underperform often do so not because of knowledge gaps, but because of poor time management or test anxiety. Use your final mock exam sessions to address both.
The PCDE exam lasts 120 minutes. Do not spend more than 90 seconds on any single question on the first pass. Flag difficult ones and return to them after completing the rest.
On every question, immediately eliminate obviously wrong choices. Even if you are unsure between two options, narrowing to two doubles your odds. Most PCDE distractors contain a subtle error — re-read the scenario constraint before committing to the answer that sounds most familiar.
Google Cloud writes many PCDE questions as realistic scenarios. Read the final sentence first — it tells you what is being asked. Then re-read the scenario with the question in mind to avoid wasting time on irrelevant details.
The real PCDE is a mental marathon lasting 120 minutes. In the week before your exam, complete at least two full timed mock sessions on separate days to build concentration stamina. If you cannot stay focused for 120 minutes in practice, you will struggle on exam day.
Questions
60
On the real exam
Time limit
120 min
2 min per question
Passing score
720/1000
Scaled scoring
The PCDE uses scaled scoring — your raw percentage correct is converted to a score out of 1000. Consistently scoring above 80% on mock exams puts you well above the 720/1000 threshold, giving you a buffer for any unexpected question types on the real exam.
Yes. Courseiva provides free PCDE mock exam questions across all official exam domains. The platform includes timed simulation, per-domain score breakdown, missed-question review, and readiness tracking. No account required — free forever, supported by advertising.
The practice test is optimised for learning: you see explanations after each question immediately. The mock exam is optimised for simulation: you answer all questions under time pressure and review at the end. Use practice tests for studying and mock exams for benchmarking.
Aim for consistent scores of 80% or above on full-length PCDE mock exams before booking your test date. The official passing score of 720/1000 corresponds to roughly 72–75% correct answers, so an 80% buffer accounts for difficulty variation and question styles on the real exam.
Most candidates who pass PCDE on their first attempt complete 3–5 full-length mock exams in the two weeks before their test. This is enough to identify final weak spots, build stamina, and verify readiness without over-stressing or running out of fresh questions.
No — all Courseiva questions are original, written by certified engineers against public Google Cloud exam blueprints. Exam dumps are memorised real exam questions shared illegally. Using dumps violates your Google Cloud certification agreement and can result in your certification being revoked. Our questions make you genuinely competent, not just test-day lucky.
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