- A
Ensure the Cloud Run service uses the correct service account by redeploying with the --service-account flag set to 'image-processor-sa@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com'.
Correct: This ensures the Cloud Run service uses the custom service account with appropriate permissions.
- B
Grant the service account the Cloud Run Invoker role on the Cloud Run service.
Why wrong: Incorrect: The Cloud Run Invoker role allows the service account to invoke the service, not relevant for accessing Cloud Storage.
- C
Assign the Storage Admin role to the service account.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Storage Admin is too broad and violates least privilege.
- D
Enable the Cloud Storage API for the project.
Why wrong: Incorrect: The Cloud Storage API is already enabled if buckets exist; this is not the cause of the error.
Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud architecture. 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 company has a Cloud Run service that processes images uploaded by users. The service reads the images from a Cloud Storage bucket and writes processed images to another bucket. The team recently updated the service to use a custom service account named 'image-processor-sa' with minimal permissions. After the update, the service fails with permission errors when trying to read from the source bucket. The team verified that the service account has the Storage Object Viewer role on the source bucket and Storage Object Creator role on the destination bucket. What should the architect do to resolve the issue?
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
Ensure the Cloud Run service uses the correct service account by redeploying with the --service-account flag set to 'image-processor-sa@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com'.
The error occurs because the Cloud Run service is not using the custom service account 'image-processor-sa' despite it being created and granted permissions. By default, Cloud Run uses the Compute Engine default service account unless explicitly overridden. Redeploying with the --service-account flag attaches the correct identity to the Cloud Run revision, allowing it to authenticate with Cloud Storage using the minimal permissions already assigned.
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.
- ✓
Ensure the Cloud Run service uses the correct service account by redeploying with the --service-account flag set to 'image-processor-sa@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com'.
Why this is correct
Correct: This ensures the Cloud Run service uses the custom service account with appropriate permissions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Grant the service account the Cloud Run Invoker role on the Cloud Run service.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The Cloud Run Invoker role allows the service account to invoke the service, not relevant for accessing Cloud Storage.
- ✗
Assign the Storage Admin role to the service account.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Storage Admin is too broad and violates least privilege.
- ✗
Enable the Cloud Storage API for the project.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The Cloud Storage API is already enabled if buckets exist; this is not the cause of the error.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between granting permissions to a service account versus actually attaching that service account to a resource; candidates mistakenly assume that creating and granting roles to a service account automatically makes it the active identity of the Cloud Run service.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud Run uses the 'identity' of the service account attached to the revision to sign outgoing requests via the metadata server. If no custom service account is specified, Cloud Run defaults to the Compute Engine default service account (e.g., PROJECT_NUMBER-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com), which lacks the necessary Storage Object Viewer role on the source bucket. The --service-account flag overrides this by binding the revision's runtime identity to the specified IAM principal, ensuring all API calls from the container are authenticated as that service account.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Ensure the Cloud Run service uses the correct service account by redeploying with the --service-account flag set to 'image-processor-sa@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com'. — The error occurs because the Cloud Run service is not using the custom service account 'image-processor-sa' despite it being created and granted permissions. By default, Cloud Run uses the Compute Engine default service account unless explicitly overridden. Redeploying with the --service-account flag attaches the correct identity to the Cloud Run revision, allowing it to authenticate with Cloud Storage using the minimal permissions already assigned.
What should I do if I get this PCA 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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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This PCA 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 PCA exam.
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