Cloud Digital Leader Trust and security with Google Cloud Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of trust and security with google cloud. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
Error:
# gcloud compute instances create my-instance --zone us-central1-a
ERROR: (gcloud.compute.instances.create) Could not fetch resource:
- Account 'my-service-account@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com' requires permission 'compute.instances.create' on project 'my-project'
```
Refer to the exhibit. A developer receives this error when trying to create a Compute Engine instance. The developer is authenticated as a user with Project Editor role. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The service account used for the instance lacks IAM permissions.
Option C is correct because the error occurs when the Compute Engine instance creation fails due to insufficient IAM permissions on the service account attached to the instance. Even though the developer has the Project Editor role (which includes compute.instances.create), the service account used by the instance must have the necessary IAM roles (e.g., roles/iam.serviceAccountUser) to be used. Without these permissions, the API call to create the instance is denied, resulting in the error.
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 project has reached its compute instance quota.
Why it's wrong here
Quota errors would produce a different message.
✗
The developer does not have the compute.instances.create permission.
Why it's wrong here
The developer has Project Editor role, which includes that permission.
✓
The service account used for the instance lacks IAM permissions.
Why this is correct
The error indicates the service account (my-service-account) lacks compute.instances.create on the project.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The VPC network has insufficient IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
The error message points to a permission issue, not networking.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between user-level permissions (e.g., Project Editor) and service account-level permissions (e.g., roles/iam.serviceAccountUser), tricking candidates into thinking the user's role is sufficient when the error is actually about the service account's IAM bindings.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When creating a Compute Engine instance, the user must have the iam.serviceAccounts.actAs permission on the service account (granted via roles/iam.serviceAccountUser) to allow the instance to use that service account. This is enforced by the IAM system during the instance creation API call (instances.insert). A common real-world scenario is when a developer has broad project-level roles but forgets to grant the service account user role to the service account being attached, leading to a confusing permission error.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this GCDL question in full detail.
Trust and security with Google Cloud — This question tests Trust and security with Google Cloud — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The service account used for the instance lacks IAM permissions. — Option C is correct because the error occurs when the Compute Engine instance creation fails due to insufficient IAM permissions on the service account attached to the instance. Even though the developer has the Project Editor role (which includes compute.instances.create), the service account used by the instance must have the necessary IAM roles (e.g., roles/iam.serviceAccountUser) to be used. Without these permissions, the API call to create the instance is denied, resulting in the error.
What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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