Google ACE Practice Question: Ensuring Successful Operation of a Cloud Solution
You need to load a CSV file from Cloud Storage into an existing BigQuery table. Which bq command should you use?
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
✓
bq load --source_format=CSV mydataset.mytable gs://mybucket/myfile.csv
The bq load command loads data into a BigQuery table. You specify the source format (CSV) and the location of the file in Cloud Storage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
bq query --source_format=CSV 'SELECT * FROM mydataset.mytable'
Why it's wrong here
The bq query command runs SQL queries against BigQuery data and does not perform data ingestion. The --source_format flag is only meaningful for bq load or external table definitions, not for queries. Additionally, the statement simply selects all rows from an existing table rather than referencing the CSV file in Cloud Storage, so it would never load any new data.
- ✓
bq load --source_format=CSV mydataset.mytable gs://mybucket/myfile.csv
Why this is correct
bq load is the correct BigQuery CLI command to initiate a batch load job from Cloud Storage. It creates a load job that reads the CSV file at the given URI, parses it according to the specified --source_format, and writes rows into the target table (mydataset.mytable), which can be appended to or replace. This is the standard, idempotent way to bulk-load CSV data into BigQuery.
- ✗
bq insert mydataset.mytable gs://mybucket/myfile.csv
Why it's wrong here
bq insert is a legitimate but different command: it streams individual rows into a table through the BigQuery insertAll API, intended for real-time ingestion. It does not accept a Cloud Storage URI as a source argument, nor does it parse a CSV file; passing a GCS path would be interpreted as malformed inline data, and it cannot perform a batch load operation with format handling.
- ✗
bq import mydataset.mytable gs://mybucket/myfile.csv
Why it's wrong here
There is no 'bq import' command in the BigQuery command-line interface. The bq tool exposes verbs such as load, query, extract, and cp, but 'import' is not among them, so the command would fail immediately with an unrecognized command error. Do not confuse it with other tools like gcloud storage import or data transfer services; for batch loading, bq load is the only valid CLI mechanism.
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Google Cloud Platform Overview
Key term
BigQuery
BigQuery is a fully managed, serverless data warehouse on Google Cloud that lets you run fast SQL queries on massive datasets without managing any infrastructure.
Key term
Cloud storage
Cloud storage is a service that lets you save data on remote servers accessed over the internet instead of on your computer's hard drive.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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