Google PCA Designing for Security and Compliance Practice Question
A company wants to use their existing Active Directory for authentication to Google Cloud. They need to sync user and group identities to Cloud Identity and allow users to log in with their corporate credentials. Which two services should they use together?
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
✓
Cloud Directory Sync and SAML SSO
Cloud Directory Sync (CDS) syncs users and groups from LDAP/AD to Cloud Identity. SAML SSO allows users to authenticate using their corporate credentials. IAP is for application access, not directory sync. Cloud Identity as a standalone does not sync automatically. Workload Identity is for Kubernetes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud Directory Sync and Workload Identity
Why it's wrong here
Workload Identity is for GKE, not for user authentication.
- ✓
Cloud Directory Sync and SAML SSO
Why this is correct
CDS syncs identities, and SAML SSO enables authentication with corporate credentials.
- ✗
SAML SSO and IAP
Why it's wrong here
SAML SSO provides authentication, but without directory sync, identities are not synced.
- ✗
Cloud Identity and IAP
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Identity is the directory, but IAP does not sync identities or provide SSO.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
Key term
Anthos
Anthos is a Google Cloud platform that lets you run applications consistently across different computing environments, like on-premises data centers and multiple public clouds.
Key term
Workload Identity
A workload identity is a digital credential assigned to an application, service, or automated process that proves its identity to other systems without requiring a human user to log in.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.