- A
Taint the regular node pool and use tolerations for stateful pods
Taints on regular nodes with tolerations on stateful pods ensure they run only on those nodes.
- B
Use a single node pool with a mix of regular and preemptible VMs
Why wrong: A single node pool would mix workloads, risking preemption of stateful pods.
- C
Set pod priority class to 'high' for stateful workloads
Why wrong: Priority helps in eviction order but does not prevent scheduling on preemptible nodes.
- D
Create a separate node pool for preemptible VMs and use tolerations for stateless pods
Stateless pods with tolerations can run on preemptible nodes, while stateful pods run on regular nodes.
- E
Use node affinity rules to schedule stateful pods on regular nodes
Why wrong: Node affinity is one way but taints are more definitive.
Cloud Digital Leader Google Cloud Products and Services Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of google cloud products and services. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company runs a microservices application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and wants to reduce costs by using preemptible nodes for stateless workloads. However, they need to ensure that critical stateful workloads are not disrupted. Which two actions should they take?
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
Taint the regular node pool and use tolerations for stateful pods
To protect stateful workloads, use node pools with regular VMs and taint them to prevent preemptible pods from scheduling. For stateless workloads, use a separate node pool with preemptible VMs and add tolerations to the pods. Affinity rules or priority classes can also help but are not the primary method.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Taint the regular node pool and use tolerations for stateful pods
Why this is correct
Taints on regular nodes with tolerations on stateful pods ensure they run only on those nodes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a single node pool with a mix of regular and preemptible VMs
Why it's wrong here
A single node pool would mix workloads, risking preemption of stateful pods.
- ✗
Set pod priority class to 'high' for stateful workloads
Why it's wrong here
Priority helps in eviction order but does not prevent scheduling on preemptible nodes.
- ✓
Create a separate node pool for preemptible VMs and use tolerations for stateless pods
Why this is correct
Stateless pods with tolerations can run on preemptible nodes, while stateful pods run on regular nodes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use node affinity rules to schedule stateful pods on regular nodes
Why it's wrong here
Node affinity is one way but taints are more definitive.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which GCDL exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Google Cloud Products and Services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Google Cloud Products and Services — This question tests Google Cloud Products and Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Taint the regular node pool and use tolerations for stateful pods — To protect stateful workloads, use node pools with regular VMs and taint them to prevent preemptible pods from scheduling. For stateless workloads, use a separate node pool with preemptible VMs and add tolerations to the pods. Affinity rules or priority classes can also help but are not the primary method.
What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?
Identify which GCDL exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This GCDL 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 GCDL exam.
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