Question 838 of 964
PCD Deploying applications Practice Question
Which TWO statements about deploying applications on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) are correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
The PCD exam often tests the misconception that Secrets are encrypted by default, but the trap here is that base64 encoding is not encryption, and candidates overlook the need for explicit encryption configuration.
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
✓
HorizontalPodAutoscaler can use custom metrics from Cloud Monitoring.
HorizontalPodAutoscaler (HPA) in GKE can scale pods based on custom metrics from Cloud Monitoring (formerly Stackdriver). This is achieved by using the custom.metrics.k8s.io API, which allows HPA to query metrics like custom application latency or queue depth, not just default CPU/memory. This enables fine-grained, application-specific autoscaling.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
HorizontalPodAutoscaler can use custom metrics from Cloud Monitoring.
Why this is correct
HPA supports custom metrics via the custom.metrics.k8s.io API.
- ✗
Kubernetes Secrets are encrypted at rest by default.
Why it's wrong here
Secrets are base64 encoded, not encrypted; encryption requires configuration.
- ✗
A zonal GKE cluster automatically uses regional persistent disks for high availability.
Why it's wrong here
Regional persistent disks provide multi-zone access; zonal clusters use zonal disks by default.
- ✓
PodDisruptionBudget can be used to ensure a minimum number of pods are available during node repair.
Why this is correct
PodDisruptionBudget protects against voluntary disruptions like node repair.
- ✗
To expose a Deployment externally, you must create an Ingress resource.
Why it's wrong here
You can also use a Service of type LoadBalancer or NodePort.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
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