- A
Use Assured Workloads to automatically extend audit log retention to 7 years.
Why wrong: Assured Workloads enforces compliance controls but does not extend log retention beyond Logging's limits.
- B
Create a log bucket with a retention period of 7 years using Log Analytics.
Why wrong: Log buckets have a maximum retention of 365 days; 7 years requires export to Cloud Storage.
- C
Configure a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy set to 7 years using Object Lifecycle Management.
Exporting logs to Cloud Storage and setting a retention policy via lifecycle management is cost-effective and meets retention requirements.
- D
Increase the retention period for Cloud Audit Logs in the Logs Router to 7 years.
Why wrong: Cloud Logging retains logs for a maximum of 365 days (log bucket retention). For longer retention, export is required.
PCSE Supporting Compliance Requirements 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. 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.
A financial institution must store audit logs for 7 years to comply with PCI DSS requirements. By default, Cloud Audit Logs are retained for 30 days. What is the most cost-effective way to retain audit logs for 7 years?
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
Configure a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy set to 7 years using Object Lifecycle Management.
To retain audit logs beyond Cloud Logging's 365-day max, export to Cloud Storage using a log sink and use Object Lifecycle Management to set a retention policy.
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.
- ✗
Use Assured Workloads to automatically extend audit log retention to 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Assured Workloads enforces compliance controls but does not extend log retention beyond Logging's limits.
- ✗
Create a log bucket with a retention period of 7 years using Log Analytics.
Why it's wrong here
Log buckets have a maximum retention of 365 days; 7 years requires export to Cloud Storage.
- ✓
Configure a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy set to 7 years using Object Lifecycle Management.
Why this is correct
Exporting logs to Cloud Storage and setting a retention policy via lifecycle management is cost-effective and meets retention requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the retention period for Cloud Audit Logs in the Logs Router to 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Logging retains logs for a maximum of 365 days (log bucket retention). For longer retention, export is required.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCSE 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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Supporting Compliance Requirements — study guide chapter
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Supporting Compliance Requirements practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Supporting Compliance Requirements — This question tests Supporting Compliance Requirements — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy set to 7 years using Object Lifecycle Management. — To retain audit logs beyond Cloud Logging's 365-day max, export to Cloud Storage using a log sink and use Object Lifecycle Management to set a retention policy.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Identify which PCSE 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: 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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