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Question 88 of 500

Configuring access and security →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is that the BigQuery API may not be enabled in the project where the Cloud Function is running. Even when a service account holds the correct IAM role, such as BigQuery Data Viewer, Google Cloud requires each project to have the specific API explicitly activated before any service can call it; without this, the API endpoint remains unreachable and returns a 403 Forbidden error regardless of IAM permissions. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding that API enablement is a separate prerequisite from IAM roles—a common trap is assuming that granting a role alone is sufficient. Remember the memory tip: “Roles grant access, but APIs grant the door.” Always verify that the BigQuery API is enabled in the Cloud Function’s project before troubleshooting permissions.

Google ACE Configuring access and security Practice Question

This ACE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access and security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 developer reports that a Cloud Function is failing with '403 Forbidden' when calling the BigQuery API. The function's service account has the BigQuery Data Viewer role. What is a likely additional requirement that may be missing?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
The Cloud Function must be deployed in the same region as the BigQuery dataset
Why wrong: BigQuery is a global service — Cloud Functions can call BigQuery APIs regardless of region.
B
The BigQuery API may not be enabled in the Cloud Functions' project
Even with the correct IAM role, API calls fail if the target API isn't enabled. Enabling the BigQuery API (`bigquery.googleapis.com`) in the project is a prerequisite.
C
Cloud Functions cannot call BigQuery — it must use Dataflow or BigQuery scheduled queries instead
Why wrong: Cloud Functions can call BigQuery API directly using client libraries — they're frequently used together for data processing workflows.
D
The service account needs the BigQuery Admin role instead of Data Viewer to make API calls
Why wrong: BigQuery Data Viewer is sufficient for read operations. The issue is not role scope — it's more likely the API is not enabled.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The BigQuery API may not be enabled in the Cloud Functions' project

The 403 Forbidden error indicates that the Cloud Function's service account lacks the necessary permissions to call the BigQuery API. Even with the correct IAM role (BigQuery Data Viewer), the BigQuery API must be explicitly enabled in the project where the Cloud Function is running, as Google Cloud requires APIs to be activated per project before they can be used. Without enabling the API, any API call from the function will be rejected with a 403, regardless of IAM roles.

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.

✗
The Cloud Function must be deployed in the same region as the BigQuery dataset
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery is a global service — Cloud Functions can call BigQuery APIs regardless of region.
✓
The BigQuery API may not be enabled in the Cloud Functions' project
Why this is correct
Even with the correct IAM role, API calls fail if the target API isn't enabled. Enabling the BigQuery API (`bigquery.googleapis.com`) in the project is a prerequisite.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Cloud Functions cannot call BigQuery — it must use Dataflow or BigQuery scheduled queries instead
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Functions can call BigQuery API directly using client libraries — they're frequently used together for data processing workflows.
✗
The service account needs the BigQuery Admin role instead of Data Viewer to make API calls
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery Data Viewer is sufficient for read operations. The issue is not role scope — it's more likely the API is not enabled.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google Cloud often tests the distinction between IAM permissions and API enablement, trapping candidates who assume a 403 always means a missing IAM role rather than a disabled API.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Google Cloud APIs are enabled per project via the Service Usage API; when an API is disabled, all requests to its endpoints return a 403 error with a reason like 'API has not been used in project X before or it is disabled.' This is distinct from IAM permission errors, which return 403 with 'Permission denied' and a different error message. In practice, developers often confuse IAM role issues with API enablement, especially when using service accounts that have correct roles but the API is not activated.

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.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this ACE question test?

Configuring access and security — This question tests Configuring access and security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The BigQuery API may not be enabled in the Cloud Functions' project — The 403 Forbidden error indicates that the Cloud Function's service account lacks the necessary permissions to call the BigQuery API. Even with the correct IAM role (BigQuery Data Viewer), the BigQuery API must be explicitly enabled in the project where the Cloud Function is running, as Google Cloud requires APIs to be activated per project before they can be used. Without enabling the API, any API call from the function will be rejected with a 403, regardless of IAM roles.

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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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.