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Design and plan a cloud solution architecture →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Google PCA Design and plan a cloud solution architecture Practice Question

This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design and plan a cloud solution architecture. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.

Exhibit

{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "role": "roles/compute.networkAdmin",
      "members": [
        "user:admin@example.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1",
      "members": [
        "user:developer@example.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/iam.serviceAccountUser",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:sa-compute@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "etag": "BwVJQ2RfPHQ="
}

Refer to the exhibit. A security team wants to ensure that the service account 'sa-compute' can only be used by the instance admin role. Currently, any user with 'iam.serviceAccountUser' on the project can impersonate it. Which change should be made to the policy?

Exhibit

{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "role": "roles/compute.networkAdmin",
      "members": [
        "user:admin@example.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1",
      "members": [
        "user:developer@example.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/iam.serviceAccountUser",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:sa-compute@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "etag": "BwVJQ2RfPHQ="
}

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

✓

Remove the 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' binding from the project policy and add a resource-level policy on the service account granting 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' only to 'developer@example.com'.

The exhibit shows a project-level IAM policy. The service account 'sa-compute' is granted 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' at the project level, meaning any user with that role on the project can impersonate it. To restrict usage, the policy should grant 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' on the service account itself to only specific users, not at the project level. The correct approach is to remove the project-level binding and add a resource-level policy on the service account.

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.

  • ✗

    Add a condition to the 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' binding that restricts access to only the instance admin.

    Why it's wrong here

    Incorrect: Conditions cannot restrict impersonation based on who is performing the action; they are based on resource attributes.

  • ✗

    Modify the project policy to change the 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' member to 'user:developer@example.com'.

    Why it's wrong here

    Incorrect: This still grants the role at the project level, which would allow any user with that role to impersonate the service account.

  • ✓

    Remove the 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' binding from the project policy and add a resource-level policy on the service account granting 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' only to 'developer@example.com'.

    Why this is correct

    Correct: This restricts the ability to impersonate the service account to only the developer, not everyone with the project-level role.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    Create a new custom role that combines 'roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1' and 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' and assign it to 'developer@example.com'.

    Why it's wrong here

    Incorrect: This does not restrict impersonation; it still grants the serviceAccountUser role broadly.

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 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.

Identify which PCA 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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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PCA question test?

Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — This question tests Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Remove the 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' binding from the project policy and add a resource-level policy on the service account granting 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' only to 'developer@example.com'. — The exhibit shows a project-level IAM policy. The service account 'sa-compute' is granted 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' at the project level, meaning any user with that role on the project can impersonate it. To restrict usage, the policy should grant 'roles/iam.serviceAccountUser' on the service account itself to only specific users, not at the project level. The correct approach is to remove the project-level binding and add a resource-level policy on the service account.

What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?

Identify which PCA 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.

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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026

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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.