Google ACE Configuring Access and Security Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Create a Cloud Router to advertise routes to Google.

  Why it's wrong here

  A Cloud Router is used for dynamic BGP route exchange in Cloud VPN or Interconnect scenarios, not for enabling Private Google Access. Private Google Access relies on a subnet-level flag that instructs the VPC to route traffic destined for Google APIs over Google's private backbone, so there is no need to advertise routes to Google. Even if you created a Cloud Router, it would not grant private instances access to Google APIs; that access is controlled solely by the subnet's Private Google Access setting.

• ✓

  Create a subnet with the --enable-private-ip-google-access flag.

  Why this is correct

  Enabling the --enable-private-ip-google-access flag on the subnet is the core requirement because it tells Google Cloud to allow instances in that subnet to reach Google APIs using only their internal IP addresses. After this flag is set, the VPC's routing table automatically includes a route for Google's API ranges that sends traffic over the internal Google network instead of the public internet. This flag must be present on every subnet where you want Private Google Access to work; enabling it on the VPC or a single instance is not possible.

• ✓

  Create a VPC network.

  Why this is correct

  A VPC network is a necessary prerequisite because subnets and Compute Engine instances cannot exist outside of a VPC; it defines the address space, routing table, and firewall rules that govern all resources. Private Google Access is configured at the subnet level, but that subnet is always contained within a VPC network, so you must first create the VPC to even have a subnet to configure. Without a VPC, you cannot create the subnet that carries the --enable-private-ip-google-access flag, making this an essential part of the setup.

• ✓

  Launch Compute Engine instances in the subnet.

  Why this is correct

  To use Private Google Access, you must actually have Compute Engine instances running in the subnet that has the flag enabled, because the feature provides API access to the resources themselves, not to the network. If the subnet is empty, the flag has no effect and the configuration is incomplete. The instances can be configured with only internal IPs (no external IP) to take advantage of the private path, and they will then be able to call Google APIs without leaving the Google network.

• ✗

  Configure Cloud NAT to route traffic to Google APIs.

  Why it's wrong here

  Cloud NAT is used to give private instances outbound internet connectivity by translating their private IP addresses to a public IP for traffic to the internet. Private Google Access, in contrast, creates a direct private route to Google APIs over Google's own network, so no NAT is involved and no external IP is used. Configuring Cloud NAT would actually cause traffic to Google APIs to go out to the public internet (unless you add specific NAT rules), which defeats the purpose of Private Google Access and does not replace the subnet-level flag that enables it.

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