Google ACE Setting up a cloud solution environment Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of setting up a cloud solution environment. 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.
A service account from project A needs to read a BigQuery dataset in project B. The service account is granted roles/bigquery.dataViewer at the project B level. Yet the access is denied. What additional step is needed?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add the service account to the dataset's ACL in BigQuery
D is correct because BigQuery datasets use Access Control Lists (ACLs) in addition to IAM policies. Even though the service account has the roles/bigquery.dataViewer IAM role at the project B level, this role grants access to list datasets and read metadata, but does not automatically grant access to the actual data within a dataset. The dataset's ACL must explicitly include the service account to allow reading the tables and views. This is a common requirement when cross-project access is needed, as IAM roles at the project level do not propagate to dataset-level ACLs unless the dataset is configured to inherit permissions.
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.
✗
Enable the BigQuery API on project A
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery API must be enabled on the project where the dataset resides, project B.
✗
Grant the service account roles/bigquery.jobUser on project A
Why it's wrong here
JobUser is for running queries, not reading data.
✗
Grant the service account roles/bigquery.user on project B
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery user role is for running jobs, not reading data.
✓
Add the service account to the dataset's ACL in BigQuery
Why this is correct
Dataset ACL can override project-level roles, requiring explicit grant.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that IAM roles at the project level are sufficient for cross-project data access, when in fact BigQuery datasets require explicit ACL entries for the service account to read data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BigQuery uses a dual permission model: IAM roles control project-level access (e.g., listing datasets, running jobs), while dataset ACLs control fine-grained access to the data itself. When a service account from project A tries to read a dataset in project B, the IAM role roles/bigquery.dataViewer at the project level only grants the bigquery.datasets.get and bigquery.tables.get permissions, but the dataset ACL must include the service account with the READER role to allow actual data reads. This is analogous to how Cloud Storage uses both IAM and ACLs, though BigQuery ACLs are managed via the dataset's access entries.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this ACE question in full detail.
Setting up a cloud solution environment — This question tests Setting up a cloud solution environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add the service account to the dataset's ACL in BigQuery — D is correct because BigQuery datasets use Access Control Lists (ACLs) in addition to IAM policies. Even though the service account has the roles/bigquery.dataViewer IAM role at the project B level, this role grants access to list datasets and read metadata, but does not automatically grant access to the actual data within a dataset. The dataset's ACL must explicitly include the service account to allow reading the tables and views. This is a common requirement when cross-project access is needed, as IAM roles at the project level do not propagate to dataset-level ACLs unless the dataset is configured to inherit permissions.
What should I do if I get this ACE 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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Question Discussion
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