Google ACE Deploying and Implementing a Cloud Solution Practice Question
A company wants to store archival data that is accessed less than once a year. The data must be preserved for 10 years. Which Cloud Storage storage class is most cost-effective?
⚠ Common exam trap
ACE often tests the difference between Coldline and Archive. Candidates may choose Coldline because it is also for infrequent access, but Archive is more cost-effective for data accessed less than once a year.
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
✓
Archive
Google Cloud Storage Archive storage class is the most cost-effective for data accessed less than once a year and retained for 10 years. Archive has the lowest storage cost but higher retrieval costs and a minimum storage duration of 365 days. It is designed for long-term archival of data that is rarely accessed, making it ideal for this use case.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Archive
Why this is correct
Archive is the lowest-cost Cloud Storage class, designed for data accessed less than once a year, and it supports the 10-year retention requirement. Nearline and Coldline assume more frequent access, so they cost more for this pattern.
- ✗
Standard
Why it's wrong here
Standard carries the highest per-gigabyte storage price and no retrieval charge, so it fails a ten-year, sub-annual-access archive. It is tempting because Standard suits frequently accessed or short-lived data where low latency and no retrieval fees matter.
- ✗
Nearline
Why it's wrong here
Nearline targets monthly access, so a once-a-year pattern pays a higher storage rate than Archive for no benefit. It is tempting because Nearline is the cheapest class allowing frequent retrieval, and would be correct for backups read about once a month.
- ✗
Coldline
Why it's wrong here
Coldline enforces a 90-day minimum storage duration and suits data accessed roughly once a year; Archive, with a 365-day minimum, costs less for sub-annual access over ten years. Coldline tempts because it is cheaper than Nearline, and would be correct for quarterly-to-annual retrieval patterns.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Google Compute Engine
Key term
Google Cloud
Google Cloud is a suite of cloud computing services offered by Google that provides infrastructure, platform, and software solutions over the internet.
Key term
Storage class
A storage class is a category of data storage that defines how data is stored, accessed, retrieved, and billed in a cloud environment.
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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 Google Cloud exam blueprint
This ACE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 ACE exam.