Google PCA Practice Question: Analyze and optimize technical and business processes
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of analyze and optimize technical and business processes. 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.
A company is running a web application on Compute Engine instances that average 20% CPU utilization. They want to reduce costs without impacting performance. What is the most effective action?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Rightsize instances to a smaller machine type based on usage metrics.
The instances are averaging only 20% CPU utilization, indicating they are over-provisioned. Rightsizing to a smaller machine type directly reduces the compute cost per instance while maintaining adequate performance for the current workload, as the smaller instance can handle the existing load without degradation.
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.
✓
Rightsize instances to a smaller machine type based on usage metrics.
Why this is correct
Rightsizing matches capacity to demand, reducing cost without performance impact.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change instance type to e2-standard-4.
Why it's wrong here
Switching to a different standard type may not reduce cost if the current type is already efficient.
✗
Purchase 3-year committed use discounts.
Why it's wrong here
Committed use discounts require a 3-year commitment and may lock in higher cost if utilization drops further.
✗
Use preemptible instances for all traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Preemptible instances can be terminated at any time, risking application availability.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose committed use discounts (Option C) as a quick cost-saving measure, failing to realize that rightsizing first yields greater savings without long-term commitment, and that preemptible instances (Option D) are not viable for production traffic due to their ephemeral nature.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Rightsizing involves analyzing historical CPU, memory, and network metrics from Cloud Monitoring to select the smallest instance type that meets performance requirements. For example, moving from an n1-standard-4 (4 vCPU, 15 GB RAM) to an n1-standard-2 (2 vCPU, 7.5 GB RAM) could halve the compute cost if the workload consistently uses less than 2 vCPUs. This is a foundational cost optimization strategy in the Google Cloud Well-Architected Framework's cost optimization pillar, often combined with sustained use discounts or committed use discounts after rightsizing.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Analyze and optimize technical and business processes — This question tests Analyze and optimize technical and business processes — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Rightsize instances to a smaller machine type based on usage metrics. — The instances are averaging only 20% CPU utilization, indicating they are over-provisioned. Rightsizing to a smaller machine type directly reduces the compute cost per instance while maintaining adequate performance for the current workload, as the smaller instance can handle the existing load without degradation.
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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Question Discussion
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