- A
Create a custom role with compute.instances.insert and compute.instances.delete permissions.
Why wrong: This includes delete permission, which is not desired.
- B
Assign all developers the primitive role of Editor.
Why wrong: Editor role includes delete permission.
- C
Use organization policy to restrict deletion of compute instances.
Why wrong: Organization policies apply to all users, not selectively grant permissions.
- D
Create a service account for each developer and grant it the compute.instanceAdmin role.
Service accounts are not intended for human users; key management is burdensome.
Question 996 of 1,000
Cloud Digital Leader Least Privilege Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of trust and security with google cloud. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: least Privilege. 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 small IT team needs to grant developers the ability to deploy instances in a project but not delete them. Which IAM best practice should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
✓
Create a service account for each developer and grant it the compute.instanceAdmin role.
Option D is correct because it follows the IAM best practice of least privilege by creating a service account for each developer and granting the `compute.instanceAdmin` role. This role provides the necessary permissions to deploy instances (via `compute.instances.insert`) but does not include the `compute.instances.delete` permission, so developers cannot delete instances. Using service accounts also ensures proper identity separation and access control.
Key principle: Least Privilege
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 custom role with compute.instances.insert and compute.instances.delete permissions.
Why it's wrong here
This includes delete permission, which is not desired.
- ✗
Assign all developers the primitive role of Editor.
Why it's wrong here
Editor role includes delete permission.
- ✗
Use organization policy to restrict deletion of compute instances.
Why it's wrong here
Organization policies apply to all users, not selectively grant permissions.
- ✓
Create a service account for each developer and grant it the compute.instanceAdmin role.
Why this is correct
Service accounts are not intended for human users; key management is burdensome.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Least Privilege
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that organization policies can replace IAM roles for user-level permission control, but organization policies are for resource constraints, not identity-based access control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `compute.instanceAdmin` role is a predefined IAM role that includes permissions like `compute.instances.create`, `compute.instances.start`, and `compute.instances.stop`, but notably excludes `compute.instances.delete`. When using service accounts, each developer authenticates as their own identity, allowing fine-grained audit logging and revocation. In a real-world scenario, if a developer needs to deploy instances for testing, this role ensures they can spin up and manage instances without risking accidental or malicious deletion of production resources.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Least Privilege
- Service Account
- IAM Roles
- compute.instanceAdmin
TExam Day Tips
- 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
Least Privilege
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review least Privilege, then practise related GCDL questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Trust and security with Google Cloud — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Trust and security with Google Cloud practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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All GCDL questions
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Google Cloud Digital Leader study guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Trust and security with Google Cloud — This question tests Trust and security with Google Cloud — Least Privilege.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a service account for each developer and grant it the compute.instanceAdmin role. — Option D is correct because it follows the IAM best practice of least privilege by creating a service account for each developer and granting the `compute.instanceAdmin` role. This role provides the necessary permissions to deploy instances (via `compute.instances.insert`) but does not include the `compute.instances.delete` permission, so developers cannot delete instances. Using service accounts also ensures proper identity separation and access control.
What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?
Review least Privilege, then practise related GCDL questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Least Privilege
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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