- A
Download a service account key JSON and mount it as a Kubernetes Secret in the pod.
Why wrong: While functional, SA key files are long-lived credentials that require rotation and management. Google explicitly recommends Workload Identity as the preferred alternative for GKE.
- B
Configure Workload Identity to bind the pod's Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access.
Workload Identity is the recommended GKE authentication mechanism. No SA keys are created — pods automatically receive short-lived credentials via the mapped Google SA, following least-privilege and eliminating key management.
- C
Grant the GKE node pool's service account `roles/cloudtranslate.user`.
Why wrong: Granting the node SA API access means all pods on those nodes can call the API — it violates least privilege. Workload Identity enables per-workload SA binding.
- D
Use the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable pointing to a mounted key file.
Why wrong: This is the same as option A (SA key in a Secret) — requires key management and is not recommended when Workload Identity is available.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure Workload Identity to bind the pod’s Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access. This is Google’s recommended security practice for GKE workload authentication to Google Cloud APIs because it allows pods to impersonate a Google Service Account without ever needing to manage or store long-lived service account keys, eliminating the risk of credential exposure. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the principle of least privilege and the shift from legacy key-based methods to identity-based authentication. A common trap is choosing to mount a service account key as a secret, which is explicitly discouraged by Google. Remember the memory tip: “Bind, don’t mount” — bind the KSA to a GSA instead of mounting a key file.
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.
Your application runs on GKE and needs to call the Cloud Translation API. You want to follow Google's recommended security practice for service-to-cloud-API authentication within GKE. Which approach should you use?
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
Configure Workload Identity to bind the pod's Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access.
Workload Identity is Google's recommended approach for authenticating workloads in GKE to Google Cloud APIs. It allows you to bind a Kubernetes Service Account (KSA) to a Google Service Account (GSA), so pods can impersonate the GSA without managing or storing long-lived service account keys. This eliminates the security risk of key exposure and follows the principle of least privilege.
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.
- ✗
Download a service account key JSON and mount it as a Kubernetes Secret in the pod.
Why it's wrong here
While functional, SA key files are long-lived credentials that require rotation and management. Google explicitly recommends Workload Identity as the preferred alternative for GKE.
- ✓
Configure Workload Identity to bind the pod's Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access.
Why this is correct
Workload Identity is the recommended GKE authentication mechanism. No SA keys are created — pods automatically receive short-lived credentials via the mapped Google SA, following least-privilege and eliminating key management.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Grant the GKE node pool's service account `roles/cloudtranslate.user`.
Why it's wrong here
Granting the node SA API access means all pods on those nodes can call the API — it violates least privilege. Workload Identity enables per-workload SA binding.
- ✗
Use the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable pointing to a mounted key file.
Why it's wrong here
This is the same as option A (SA key in a Secret) — requires key management and is not recommended when Workload Identity is available.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that mounting a service account key as a Kubernetes Secret is acceptable for production, but the correct answer emphasizes using Workload Identity to avoid managing static keys.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Workload Identity works by configuring the GKE cluster with a Workload Identity pool and enabling the node pool to use Workload Identity metadata. When a pod runs, the GKE metadata server intercepts calls to the GCP metadata service and exchanges the pod's KSA token (a Kubernetes-issued JWT) for a GCP access token via the IAM API (using the `iamcredentials.googleapis.com` service). This token is short-lived (typically 1 hour) and automatically refreshed, eliminating the need for any static credentials in the pod.
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.
- →
Planning and configuring a cloud solution — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Planning and configuring a cloud solution practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All ACE questions
500 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Associate Cloud Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
ACE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related ACE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Setting up a cloud solution environment practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Setting up a cloud solution environment.
Planning and configuring a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Planning and configuring a cloud solution.
Deploying and implementing a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Deploying and implementing a cloud solution.
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution.
Configuring access and security practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Configuring access and security.
ACE fundamentals practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE fundamentals.
ACE scenario practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE scenario.
ACE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free ACE 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 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: Configure Workload Identity to bind the pod's Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access. — Workload Identity is Google's recommended approach for authenticating workloads in GKE to Google Cloud APIs. It allows you to bind a Kubernetes Service Account (KSA) to a Google Service Account (GSA), so pods can impersonate the GSA without managing or storing long-lived service account keys. This eliminates the security risk of key exposure and follows the principle of least privilege.
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 →
Keep practising
More ACE practice questions
- A team's Cloud Build pipeline must: (1) run unit tests, (2) build a Docker image only if tests pass, (3) push the image…
- A team needs a database backup job to run every day at 2 AM UTC. The job calls an HTTP endpoint to trigger the backup. T…
- A team wants to receive an email alert when the average CPU utilization of VMs in a managed instance group exceeds 80% f…
- A Go service is consuming significantly more CPU than expected. The team suspects an inefficient function but doesn't kn…
- A network team is creating a new VPC and must decide between auto mode and custom mode. Why would they choose custom mod…
- A company organizes its GCP projects by business unit — Finance, Engineering, and Sales. Which resource is best suited t…
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.
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.