- A
Yes — VPC peering automatically enables transitive routing through intermediate peered networks
Why wrong: GCP VPC peering is explicitly non-transitive. Traffic cannot flow A → B → C through peering — A and C must be directly peered.
- B
No — VPC peering is non-transitive; A and C must be directly peered to communicate
VPC peering in GCP does not support transitive routing. Project A's peering with B gives A access to B's VPC only — not to networks B is peered with (like C).
- C
Yes — if Project B has IP forwarding enabled, it acts as a router between A and C
Why wrong: IP forwarding on VMs allows packet forwarding within a VPC — it doesn't override VPC peering's non-transitive networking model.
- D
It depends on the firewall rules in Project B's VPC
Why wrong: Firewall rules control which traffic is allowed — the peering topology's non-transitive nature is a routing constraint, not a firewall issue.
Quick Answer
The answer is no, VPC peering is non-transitive in Google Cloud. This is because each VPC peering connection creates a direct, point-to-point link between exactly two networks, and Google Cloud does not support transitive routing across peered VPCs. So even if Project A is peered with Project B and Project B is peered with Project C, traffic from VMs in Project A cannot flow through Project B to reach Project C; A and C must be directly peered to communicate. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this concept frequently appears as a trap question testing your understanding of VPC peering limitations versus VPN or third-party appliance solutions. The key memory tip is "no hop, no hop" — VPC peering is a single hop only, and traffic cannot be routed through an intermediate network.
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.
Two GCP projects, A and B, have VPC peering configured. Project A is peered with B, and Project B is peered with Project C. Can VMs in Project A reach VMs in Project C through Project B?
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
No — VPC peering is non-transitive; A and C must be directly peered to communicate
Option B is correct because VPC peering in Google Cloud is non-transitive. This means that if Project A is peered with Project B and Project B is peered with Project C, traffic from Project A cannot flow through Project B to reach Project C. Each peering connection is a direct, point-to-point link, and there is no routing of traffic across multiple peered networks unless explicitly configured with a separate mechanism like a VPN or a third-party appliance. Therefore, VMs in Project A and Project C must be directly peered to communicate.
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.
- ✗
Yes — VPC peering automatically enables transitive routing through intermediate peered networks
Why it's wrong here
GCP VPC peering is explicitly non-transitive. Traffic cannot flow A → B → C through peering — A and C must be directly peered.
- ✓
No — VPC peering is non-transitive; A and C must be directly peered to communicate
Why this is correct
VPC peering in GCP does not support transitive routing. Project A's peering with B gives A access to B's VPC only — not to networks B is peered with (like C).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Yes — if Project B has IP forwarding enabled, it acts as a router between A and C
Why it's wrong here
IP forwarding on VMs allows packet forwarding within a VPC — it doesn't override VPC peering's non-transitive networking model.
- ✗
It depends on the firewall rules in Project B's VPC
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules control which traffic is allowed — the peering topology's non-transitive nature is a routing constraint, not a firewall issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that VPC peering behaves like a traditional router or switch, where traffic can be forwarded through intermediate networks, but in Google Cloud, VPC peering is strictly non-transitive, and candidates must remember that direct peering is required for communication between non-adjacent VPCs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, VPC peering uses a direct, non-transitive routing model where each peering connection creates a static route for the peered network's CIDR range, but no routes are propagated across multiple peers. This is enforced by Google Cloud's networking stack, which does not support BGP-based route exchange between peered VPCs. In a real-world scenario, if you need transitive connectivity, you must use a VPN, Cloud Router with BGP, or a third-party virtual appliance (e.g., a firewall or router instance) to bridge the networks, as VPC peering alone cannot act as a transit hub.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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?
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: No — VPC peering is non-transitive; A and C must be directly peered to communicate — Option B is correct because VPC peering in Google Cloud is non-transitive. This means that if Project A is peered with Project B and Project B is peered with Project C, traffic from Project A cannot flow through Project B to reach Project C. Each peering connection is a direct, point-to-point link, and there is no routing of traffic across multiple peered networks unless explicitly configured with a separate mechanism like a VPN or a third-party appliance. Therefore, VMs in Project A and Project C must be directly peered to communicate.
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
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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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