- A
Create a Cloud Function triggered by Cloud Scheduler to load files directly from SFTP to BigQuery
Why wrong: Directly loading from SFTP is not recommended; Cloud Functions have timeouts and complexity.
- B
Use Storage Transfer Service to copy files from the SFTP server to Cloud Storage every day
Storage Transfer Service supports scheduled transfers from SFTP to Cloud Storage.
- C
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service with SFTP as a source
Why wrong: BigQuery Data Transfer Service does not support SFTP as a source.
- D
Set up a scheduled BigQuery load job using the Cloud Console or `bq` command to load from Cloud Storage
BigQuery supports scheduled batch loads from Cloud Storage into partitioned tables.
- E
Configure the load job to write to a specific partition using `--time_partitioning_field` or `--range_partitioning`
Partitioning by date is essential for efficient querying and management.
PDE Ingesting and Processing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of ingesting and processing the data. 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.
A data engineer needs to schedule a recurring batch load of CSV files from an on-premises SFTP server into BigQuery. The files are generated daily and need to be loaded into a partitioned table by date. Which THREE steps should the engineer take? (Choose THREE.)
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
Use Storage Transfer Service to copy files from the SFTP server to Cloud Storage every day
Option B is correct because the Storage Transfer Service is designed to move data from on-premises sources (including SFTP servers) into Cloud Storage on a scheduled basis. This is the recommended first step for ingesting files from an external SFTP server into Google Cloud, as it handles the network transfer, retries, and scheduling natively without requiring custom code.
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.
- ✗
Create a Cloud Function triggered by Cloud Scheduler to load files directly from SFTP to BigQuery
Why it's wrong here
Directly loading from SFTP is not recommended; Cloud Functions have timeouts and complexity.
- ✓
Use Storage Transfer Service to copy files from the SFTP server to Cloud Storage every day
Why this is correct
Storage Transfer Service supports scheduled transfers from SFTP to Cloud Storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service with SFTP as a source
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery Data Transfer Service does not support SFTP as a source.
- ✓
Set up a scheduled BigQuery load job using the Cloud Console or `bq` command to load from Cloud Storage
Why this is correct
BigQuery supports scheduled batch loads from Cloud Storage into partitioned tables.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Configure the load job to write to a specific partition using `--time_partitioning_field` or `--range_partitioning`
Why this is correct
Partitioning by date is essential for efficient querying and management.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common mistake is assuming that BigQuery Data Transfer Service can directly ingest from SFTP, but it only supports a limited set of SaaS and cloud sources, not on-premises SFTP servers.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Storage Transfer Service uses a gRPC-based agent that runs on-premises to connect to the SFTP server, encrypting data in transit with TLS 1.2+. It supports incremental transfers, scheduling, and automatic retries with exponential backoff, making it robust for daily CSV file ingestion. After files land in Cloud Storage, a scheduled BigQuery load job can use the `--time_partitioning_field` flag to write data into a specific date partition, leveraging BigQuery's columnar storage and partition pruning for query efficiency.
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 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.
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.
- →
Ingesting and Processing the Data — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Ingesting and Processing the Data practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PDE questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Data Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PDE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PDE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Designing Data Processing Systems practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Designing Data Processing Systems.
Ingesting and Processing the Data practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Ingesting and Processing the Data.
Storing the Data practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Storing the Data.
Preparing and Using Data for Analysis practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Preparing and Using Data for Analysis.
Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads.
Building and operationalizing data processing systems practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Building and operationalizing data processing systems.
Operationalizing machine learning models practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Operationalizing machine learning models.
Ensuring solution quality practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to Ensuring solution quality.
PDE fundamentals practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to PDE fundamentals.
PDE scenario practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to PDE scenario.
PDE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PDE questions linked to PDE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PDE 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 PDE question test?
Ingesting and Processing the Data — This question tests Ingesting and Processing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Storage Transfer Service to copy files from the SFTP server to Cloud Storage every day — Option B is correct because the Storage Transfer Service is designed to move data from on-premises sources (including SFTP servers) into Cloud Storage on a scheduled basis. This is the recommended first step for ingesting files from an external SFTP server into Google Cloud, as it handles the network transfer, retries, and scheduling natively without requiring custom code.
What should I do if I get this PDE 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.
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 PDE practice questions
- A company wants to process large CSV files stored in Cloud Storage and load them into BigQuery. The files are generated…
- A company runs a Dataflow streaming pipeline that reads from Cloud Pub/Sub and writes to BigQuery. The pipeline uses a s…
- A company uses Cloud Dataproc for ephemeral clusters to run batch jobs. They want to ensure job reliability and data qua…
- Your company uses Vertex AI Pipelines to automate model retraining. The pipeline has three steps: data extraction from B…
- A company wants to use BigQuery to query data stored in Parquet files in Cloud Storage without loading the data into Big…
- A company has deployed a machine learning model to AI Platform Prediction. The model uses a custom container with a Tens…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PDE 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 PDE 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.