- A
The node auto-scaler has not created additional nodes yet, but the other nodes are present.
Why wrong: Incorrect: The node list shows three nodes already present.
- B
The pods have a nodeSelector that matches only default-pool-1.
Why wrong: Incorrect: The exhibit does not show any nodeSelector in the pod spec.
- C
The other nodes have taints that the pods do not tolerate.
Correct: If nodes have taints, pods without matching tolerations will not be scheduled on them, causing all pods to land on the node without taints.
- D
The resource requests are too high, so the scheduler packed pods onto one node due to resource constraints on the others.
Why wrong: Incorrect: The total requests for 5 pods are 2500m CPU and 5Gi memory, which would easily fit on one e2-standard-2 node (2 vCPU, 8GB RAM), but the other nodes also have capacity. The scheduler would spread by default.
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. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. All five nginx pods are scheduled on the same node (default-pool-1). What is the most likely reason?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The other nodes have taints that the pods do not tolerate.
Option C is correct because taints on nodes prevent pods from being scheduled unless the pods have corresponding tolerations. If the other nodes have taints that the nginx pods do not tolerate, the scheduler will only place them on nodes without those taints, which in this case is default-pool-1. This is a common scenario when nodes are dedicated to specific workloads or have special hardware.
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.
- ✗
The node auto-scaler has not created additional nodes yet, but the other nodes are present.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The node list shows three nodes already present.
- ✗
The pods have a nodeSelector that matches only default-pool-1.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The exhibit does not show any nodeSelector in the pod spec.
- ✓
The other nodes have taints that the pods do not tolerate.
Why this is correct
Correct: If nodes have taints, pods without matching tolerations will not be scheduled on them, causing all pods to land on the node without taints.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The resource requests are too high, so the scheduler packed pods onto one node due to resource constraints on the others.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The total requests for 5 pods are 2500m CPU and 5Gi memory, which would easily fit on one e2-standard-2 node (2 vCPU, 8GB RAM), but the other nodes also have capacity. The scheduler would spread by default.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
This question tests the distinction between taints/tolerations and nodeSelector/affinity in Kubernetes on Google Cloud. Candidates often overlook that taints can silently exclude pods from all but one node, and assume only nodeSelector restricts pod placement.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incorrect: The node list shows three nodes already present.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kubernetes taints use the `effect` field (NoSchedule, PreferNoSchedule, NoExecute) to control pod placement. When a node has a taint like `node.kubernetes.io/unschedulable:NoSchedule`, pods without a matching toleration will not be scheduled there. The scheduler's predicate phase filters out tainted nodes, and if only one node remains untainted, all pods land there. This is distinct from node affinity or resource constraints, which would allow scheduling on multiple nodes if resources permit.
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.
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
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PCA questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Cloud Architect study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PCA practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PCA practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Managing Implementation and Ensuring Solution and Operations Reliability practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Managing Implementation and Ensuring Solution and Operations Reliability.
Designing and Planning a Cloud Solution Architecture practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Designing and Planning a Cloud Solution Architecture.
Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure.
Designing for Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Designing for Security and Compliance.
Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes.
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Design and plan a cloud solution architecture.
Manage and provision cloud infrastructure practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Manage and provision cloud infrastructure.
Design for security and compliance practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Design for security and compliance.
Analyze and optimize technical and business processes practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Analyze and optimize technical and business processes.
Manage implementation of cloud architecture practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Manage implementation of cloud architecture.
Ensure solution and operations reliability practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Ensure solution and operations reliability.
PCA fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA fundamentals.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCA practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: The other nodes have taints that the pods do not tolerate. — Option C is correct because taints on nodes prevent pods from being scheduled unless the pods have corresponding tolerations. If the other nodes have taints that the nginx pods do not tolerate, the scheduler will only place them on nodes without those taints, which in this case is default-pool-1. This is a common scenario when nodes are dedicated to specific workloads or have special hardware.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 →
Keep practising
More PCA practice questions
- A company has a requirement to store application logs for 7 years for compliance. They are using Cloud Logging. What is…
- A company is migrating a legacy monolithic application to Google Cloud. The application runs on a single VM and uses a l…
- A financial services company is designing a multi-tier application on Google Cloud. The application must meet PCI DSS co…
- A company is migrating its on-premises workloads to Google Cloud. They have strict compliance requirements that all data…
- A company wants to optimize their cloud spending on Google Cloud. They have a mix of workloads including batch processin…
- An organization wants to enforce that all Compute Engine VMs are created with specific disk encryption keys. Which polic…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.