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Google PCA Practice Question: Run batch processing workloads that can be…
A company wants to run batch processing workloads that can be interrupted and resumed, at the lowest possible cost. The jobs are fault-tolerant and can handle preemption. They also need predictable pricing for a baseline amount of compute. Which combination of compute options should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
PCA often tests the confusion between sustained use discounts (automatic, no commitment) and committed use discounts (contractual, deeper discount), and candidates may incorrectly choose sustained use discounts when the scenario explicitly asks for predictable pricing for a baseline.
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
✓
Use committed use discounts for baseline capacity and preemptible VMs for additional burst capacity
Committed use discounts (CUDs) provide predictable, discounted pricing for a baseline amount of compute that the company commits to using over a one- or three-year term. Preemptible (spot) VMs are significantly cheaper for the burst capacity that can tolerate interruption. Combining the two gives the lowest overall cost while maintaining predictable pricing for the baseline and flexibility for the fault-tolerant batch workloads.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use spot VMs for all workloads and rely on automatic restart
Why it's wrong here
Spot VMs can be reclaimed at any time, and automatic restart does not guarantee capacity or preserve in-flight work, so relying on them for all workloads breaks the predictable baseline requirement. They are tempting because they suit fault-tolerant, resumable batch jobs at the lowest cost, but only for the interruptible portion.
- ✗
Use standard VMs with sustained use discounts
Why it's wrong here
Sustained use discounts reward steady, always-on usage; they cannot preempt or resume interrupted jobs, so they miss the fault-tolerant batch requirement entirely. They are tempting because they give predictable baseline pricing, which is the correct fit for continuously running production workloads rather than interruptible batch.
- ✗
Use only preemptible VMs for all workloads
Why it's wrong here
Preemptible VMs alone offer no guaranteed baseline capacity, so preemption can halt every workload with no reserved compute to fall back on. They are tempting because they deliver the lowest per-hour cost for fault-tolerant, resumable jobs, which is exactly right for the interruptible portion, not the whole estate.
- ✓
Use committed use discounts for baseline capacity and preemptible VMs for additional burst capacity
Why this is correct
Committed use discounts lock in predictable pricing for the steady baseline compute, while preemptible VMs supply cheap burst capacity. Since the jobs are fault-tolerant and resumable, preemption causes no data loss, meeting the lowest-cost requirement.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Google Cloud Compute Options Overview
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
Key term
Batch processing
Batch processing is a method of running high-volume, repetitive data jobs where a group of transactions is collected, processed together automatically, and then results are produced without real-time user interaction.
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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 PCA 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 PCA exam.