- A
The service account needs the Project Owner role to make any API calls
Why wrong: Project Owner is not required — specific predefined roles grant access to specific APIs. The issue is likely the API not being enabled.
- B
The relevant GCP API is not enabled in the project
GCP requires the API to be enabled before any service account or user can use it. The error 'or it may not exist' refers to the resource being unreachable because the API is disabled.
- C
The service account needs to be in the same organization as the project
Why wrong: Service accounts from different projects (even different organizations) can be granted cross-project IAM roles. There's no same-organization requirement.
- D
The service account email must be explicitly allow-listed in the API's configuration
Why wrong: GCP APIs use IAM for access control — there's no separate email allow-list. The issue is API enablement, not an allow-list.
Quick Answer
The answer is that the relevant GCP API has not been enabled in the project. Even when a service account holds the correct IAM role, the API itself—such as the Compute Engine API or Cloud Storage API—must be explicitly turned on for the project before any API calls can succeed; without this, GCP treats the resource as inaccessible, triggering the "Permission denied on resource project [PROJECT_ID] (or it may not exist)" error. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this is a classic trap: candidates often focus solely on IAM roles and overlook the API enablement step, which is a separate prerequisite. The question tests your understanding that IAM governs who can do what, but API enablement governs whether the service is available at all. A quick memory tip: think "IAM for access, API for existence"—if the API isn't enabled, the resource doesn't exist from the API's perspective, regardless of your permissions.
Google ACE Configuring access and security Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access and security. 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.
An application receives the error 'Permission denied on resource project [PROJECT_ID] (or it may not exist)' when making an API call with a service account. The service account has the correct IAM role. What else might be missing?
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 relevant GCP API is not enabled in the project
The error 'Permission denied on resource project [PROJECT_ID] (or it may not exist)' typically occurs when the service account has the correct IAM role but the API being called is not enabled for the project. Even with proper IAM permissions, GCP requires that the specific API (e.g., Compute Engine API, Cloud Storage API) be enabled in the project before any API calls can succeed. Enabling the API activates the service and allows the service account to use it.
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 service account needs the Project Owner role to make any API calls
Why it's wrong here
Project Owner is not required — specific predefined roles grant access to specific APIs. The issue is likely the API not being enabled.
- ✓
The relevant GCP API is not enabled in the project
Why this is correct
GCP requires the API to be enabled before any service account or user can use it. The error 'or it may not exist' refers to the resource being unreachable because the API is disabled.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The service account needs to be in the same organization as the project
Why it's wrong here
Service accounts from different projects (even different organizations) can be granted cross-project IAM roles. There's no same-organization requirement.
- ✗
The service account email must be explicitly allow-listed in the API's configuration
Why it's wrong here
GCP APIs use IAM for access control — there's no separate email allow-list. The issue is API enablement, not an allow-list.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that IAM roles alone guarantee API access, but the trap here is that candidates overlook the prerequisite of enabling the API service in the project, which is a separate step from assigning IAM permissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a GCP API is disabled, the underlying service infrastructure (e.g., the API backend) is not provisioned for the project, causing any API call to fail with a 403 error even if IAM permissions are correctly set. This is because the API enablement process creates the necessary service accounts and endpoints within the project; without it, the API's resource manager rejects the request. In real-world scenarios, this often happens when a new project is created and the required API (e.g., Cloud Run API) is not explicitly enabled, leading to confusion because IAM roles appear correct.
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.
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Configuring access and security — study guide chapter
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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 relevant GCP API is not enabled in the project — The error 'Permission denied on resource project [PROJECT_ID] (or it may not exist)' typically occurs when the service account has the correct IAM role but the API being called is not enabled for the project. Even with proper IAM permissions, GCP requires that the specific API (e.g., Compute Engine API, Cloud Storage API) be enabled in the project before any API calls can succeed. Enabling the API activates the service and allows the service account to use it.
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.
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 →
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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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