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Design and plan a cloud solution architecture →mediumMultiple 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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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

resource "google_compute_instance" "vm" {
  name         = "example-vm"
  machine_type = "e2-medium"
  zone         = "us-central1-a"

  boot_disk {
    initialize_params {
      image = "debian-cloud/debian-11"
      size  = 50
    }
  }

  network_interface {
    network    = "default"
    subnetwork = "default"

    access_config {
      // Ephemeral public IP
    }
  }

  metadata = {
    enable-oslogin = "TRUE"
  }
}

# Output after 'terraform apply'
Apply complete! Resources: 1 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed.
Outputs:
instance_ip = "34.123.45.67"

Refer to the exhibit. An engineer deployed this Terraform configuration and can SSH to the instance using the external IP. However, they notice that the instance has a public IP address even though they intended to have no public IP. What change should be made to the configuration to ensure the instance does not get a public IP?

Exhibit

resource "google_compute_instance" "vm" {
  name         = "example-vm"
  machine_type = "e2-medium"
  zone         = "us-central1-a"

  boot_disk {
    initialize_params {
      image = "debian-cloud/debian-11"
      size  = 50
    }
  }

  network_interface {
    network    = "default"
    subnetwork = "default"

    access_config {
      // Ephemeral public IP
    }
  }

  metadata = {
    enable-oslogin = "TRUE"
  }
}

# Output after 'terraform apply'
Apply complete! Resources: 1 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed.
Outputs:
instance_ip = "34.123.45.67"

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 entire access_config block from the network_interface configuration.

Option B is correct because the `access_config` block in a Terraform `google_compute_instance` resource is what assigns a public (external) IP address to the instance's network interface. By removing the entire `access_config` block, the instance will only receive a private IP address, fulfilling the requirement of no public IP. Leaving the block empty (as in option C) still creates an ephemeral external IP by default, so it does not solve the problem.

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.

  • ✗

    Change the metadata key enable-oslogin to FALSE.

    Why it's wrong here

    This controls OS Login, not public IP assignment.

  • ✓

    Remove the entire access_config block from the network_interface configuration.

    Why this is correct

    Removing the access_config block prevents Terraform from assigning a public IP.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    Set access_config = [] instead of leaving it empty.

    Why it's wrong here

    This would still create an access config because the block is present.

  • ✗

    Set the network to a custom VPC that does not have external internet access.

    Why it's wrong here

    This does not directly prevent the instance from getting a public IP; it still could if access_config is present.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

A common trap in Google PCA is that an empty `access_config` block in Terraform for GCP still provisions a public IP, tricking candidates into thinking it means 'no public IP' when the correct fix is to remove the block entirely.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In Google Cloud, a VM's network interface can have zero or one `access_config` block; if the block is present (even empty), the Compute Engine API automatically allocates an ephemeral external IP from Google's pool. Removing the block entirely means the `network_interface` lacks the `accessConfigs` field, so no public IP is assigned. This is a common pitfall because Terraform's `google_compute_instance` resource treats an empty `access_config {}` as a request for an ephemeral IP, unlike other providers where an empty block might mean 'none'.

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

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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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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 entire access_config block from the network_interface configuration. — Option B is correct because the `access_config` block in a Terraform `google_compute_instance` resource is what assigns a public (external) IP address to the instance's network interface. By removing the entire `access_config` block, the instance will only receive a private IP address, fulfilling the requirement of no public IP. Leaving the block empty (as in option C) still creates an ephemeral external IP by default, so it does not solve the problem.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.