- A
Lifecycle management rules
Why wrong: Lifecycle management rules are used for automating deletion or transition of objects, not for preventing modification or deletion.
- B
Object versioning
Why wrong: Object versioning preserves previous versions of objects but does not prevent deletion or modification of the current version.
- C
Bucket locking with a retention policy
Bucket locking with a retention policy applies a WORM policy at the bucket level, preventing any modification or deletion of objects for the specified duration. This is the most appropriate feature for a blanket 5-year retention policy on all log files.
- D
Object Retention Lock
Why wrong: Object Retention Lock is an AWS S3 feature, not available in Google Cloud Storage. It is not applicable to this GCP-based scenario.
PCSE Bucket Lock Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. 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. A key principle to apply: bucket Lock. 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.
A company must implement a data retention policy that prevents any modification or deletion of stored log files for 5 years. Which Cloud Storage feature should they use?
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
Bucket locking with a retention policy
Bucket locking with a retention policy allows you to set a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) policy on a bucket, preventing object deletion or modification for a specified duration. This is the correct feature for implementing a 5-year data retention policy that prevents any modification or deletion. Object Retention Lock is an AWS S3 feature, not a GCP feature, so option D is incorrect.
Key principle: Bucket Lock
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Lifecycle management rules
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle management rules are used for automating deletion or transition of objects, not for preventing modification or deletion.
- ✗
Object versioning
Why it's wrong here
Object versioning preserves previous versions of objects but does not prevent deletion or modification of the current version.
- ✓
Bucket locking with a retention policy
Why this is correct
Bucket locking with a retention policy applies a WORM policy at the bucket level, preventing any modification or deletion of objects for the specified duration. This is the most appropriate feature for a blanket 5-year retention policy on all log files.
Related concept
Bucket Lock
- ✗
Object Retention Lock
Why it's wrong here
Object Retention Lock is an AWS S3 feature, not available in Google Cloud Storage. It is not applicable to this GCP-based scenario.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many candidates confuse object-level retention locks with bucket-level retention policies. The question asks for a policy that prevents modification or deletion of all stored log files, which is best achieved by locking a retention policy on the bucket itself.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Object Retention Lock is an AWS S3 feature, not available in Google Cloud Storage. It is not applicable to this GCP-based scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Bucket Lock
- WORM (Write Once, Read Many)
- Retention Policy
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
Bucket Lock
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review bucket Lock, then practise related PCSE questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Supporting Compliance Requirements — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Supporting Compliance Requirements practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Supporting Compliance Requirements — This question tests Supporting Compliance Requirements — Bucket Lock.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Bucket locking with a retention policy — Bucket locking with a retention policy allows you to set a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) policy on a bucket, preventing object deletion or modification for a specified duration. This is the correct feature for implementing a 5-year data retention policy that prevents any modification or deletion. Object Retention Lock is an AWS S3 feature, not a GCP feature, so option D is incorrect.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Review bucket Lock, then practise related PCSE questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Bucket Lock
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCSE 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 PCSE exam.
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