- A
Cloud Pub/Sub — it supports rate-limited push subscriptions and at-most-once delivery
Why wrong: Pub/Sub push subscriptions don't support configurable rate limiting or true at-most-once delivery — it provides at-least-once semantics.
- B
Cloud Tasks — it provides rate limiting, at-most-once delivery via deduplication, and targeted HTTP dispatch
Cloud Tasks allows explicit rate control (max_dispatches_per_second), task deduplication for at-most-once delivery, and targeted HTTP endpoint dispatch — exactly this use case.
- C
Cloud Pub/Sub with a Dataflow consumer applying rate limiting
Why wrong: Adding Dataflow for rate limiting introduces unnecessary complexity when Cloud Tasks natively provides the required behavior.
- D
Both are equivalent for this use case — choose based on cost
Why wrong: They are not equivalent — Cloud Tasks is specifically designed for this pattern. Choosing based on cost alone ignores the fundamental functional differences.
Quick Answer
Cloud Tasks is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for targeted HTTP dispatch to a single endpoint, offering built-in rate limiting to cap delivery at 10 requests per second and at-most-once delivery through task deduplication based on a unique task ID. In contrast, Cloud Pub/Sub push subscriptions guarantee at-least-once delivery and lack native rate limiting, making it unsuitable for this use case. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the fundamental difference between queue-based and pub/sub messaging: Cloud Tasks is for direct, controlled job execution, while Pub/Sub is for event broadcasting. A common trap is assuming Pub/Sub can handle rate limiting via its push endpoint, but it cannot throttle at the service level. Remember the mnemonic: “Tasks target, Pub/Sub publish”—if you need to control the pace and guarantee exactly one execution to a single HTTP endpoint, always pick Cloud Tasks.
Google ACE Planning and configuring a cloud solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of planning and configuring a cloud solution. 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 team must choose between Cloud Pub/Sub and Cloud Tasks for a use case where jobs must be delivered to a single HTTP endpoint, each job executed at most once, with rate limiting to 10 requests per second, and with retry on failure. Which service is the better fit and why?
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
Cloud Tasks — it provides rate limiting, at-most-once delivery via deduplication, and targeted HTTP dispatch
Cloud Tasks is the better fit because it is designed for targeted HTTP dispatch to a single endpoint, supports rate limiting (max bursts per second), and provides at-most-once delivery via task deduplication (based on a unique task ID). Cloud Pub/Sub push subscriptions do not offer built-in rate limiting and guarantee at-least-once delivery, not at-most-once.
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.
- ✗
Cloud Pub/Sub — it supports rate-limited push subscriptions and at-most-once delivery
Why it's wrong here
Pub/Sub push subscriptions don't support configurable rate limiting or true at-most-once delivery — it provides at-least-once semantics.
- ✓
Cloud Tasks — it provides rate limiting, at-most-once delivery via deduplication, and targeted HTTP dispatch
Why this is correct
Cloud Tasks allows explicit rate control (max_dispatches_per_second), task deduplication for at-most-once delivery, and targeted HTTP endpoint dispatch — exactly this use case.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud Pub/Sub with a Dataflow consumer applying rate limiting
Why it's wrong here
Adding Dataflow for rate limiting introduces unnecessary complexity when Cloud Tasks natively provides the required behavior.
- ✗
Both are equivalent for this use case — choose based on cost
Why it's wrong here
They are not equivalent — Cloud Tasks is specifically designed for this pattern. Choosing based on cost alone ignores the fundamental functional differences.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that Cloud Pub/Sub can handle rate-limited push subscriptions, but in reality, rate limiting is a feature of Cloud Tasks, not Cloud Pub/Sub push subscriptions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Tasks uses a configurable 'max-dispatches-per-second' parameter to enforce rate limiting at the service level, and it supports deduplication via a 'task ID' that prevents duplicate execution within a specified deduplication window. Under the hood, Cloud Tasks dispatches HTTP requests to the target endpoint and automatically retries on failure based on a configurable retry policy, while Cloud Pub/Sub push subscriptions rely on the subscriber's HTTP response code for ack/nack and do not offer server-side rate throttling.
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 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Planning and configuring a cloud solution — This question tests Planning and configuring a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Tasks — it provides rate limiting, at-most-once delivery via deduplication, and targeted HTTP dispatch — Cloud Tasks is the better fit because it is designed for targeted HTTP dispatch to a single endpoint, supports rate limiting (max bursts per second), and provides at-most-once delivery via task deduplication (based on a unique task ID). Cloud Pub/Sub push subscriptions do not offer built-in rate limiting and guarantee at-least-once delivery, not at-most-once.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This ACE 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 ACE exam.
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