Quick Answer
The answer is to configure a Delete action with the condition age: 30. This rule is correct because Cloud Storage’s object lifecycle management evaluates the age condition based on the object’s creation timestamp, meaning the object will be removed exactly 30 days after it was created, not after any other event like a storage class change. On the Google Professional Cloud Architect exam, this concept tests your understanding of lifecycle policies as a data governance tool, often appearing in scenarios involving compliance or data retention. A common trap is confusing the age condition with the days since becoming noncurrent, which applies only to versioned objects, or mistakenly using a SetStorageClass action instead of Delete. To remember this, think of the lifecycle rule as a countdown timer that starts at creation: set the action to Delete and the age to 30, and Cloud Storage handles the rest.
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage and provision cloud infrastructure. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 using Cloud Storage to store sensitive data. They need to enforce that objects are deleted exactly 30 days after creation. Which object lifecycle rule should they configure?
AbortIncompleteMultipartUpload after 30 days.
Why wrong: Aborts incomplete uploads, not deletion.
Delete action with condition daysFromNonCurrentTime: 30.
Why wrong: For non-current versions, not creation time.
Delete action with condition age: 30.
Deletes objects 30 days after creation.
SetStorageClass to Nearline after 30 days.
Why wrong: Changes storage class, doesn't delete.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Delete action with condition age: 30.
Option C is correct because the 'Delete action with condition age: 30' directly instructs Cloud Storage to remove objects 30 days after their creation time. The 'age' condition is measured from the object's creation timestamp, which aligns perfectly with the requirement to delete objects exactly 30 days after creation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AbortIncompleteMultipartUpload after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Aborts incomplete uploads, not deletion.
Delete action with condition daysFromNonCurrentTime: 30.
Why it's wrong here
For non-current versions, not creation time.
Delete action with condition age: 30.
Why this is correct
Deletes objects 30 days after creation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
SetStorageClass to Nearline after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Changes storage class, doesn't delete.
Common exam traps
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between 'age' (based on creation time) and 'daysFromNonCurrentTime' (based on versioning status), leading candidates to confuse deletion of current objects with cleanup of older versions.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Cloud Storage lifecycle rules are evaluated daily, and the 'age' condition uses the object's creation timestamp (as set by the server when the object is uploaded). This is distinct from 'daysFromNonCurrentTime', which is used for versioned objects and counts from when an object becomes non-current. A real-world scenario is compliance with data retention policies, where precise deletion timing is critical for regulatory requirements like GDPR or HIPAA.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Manage and provision cloud infrastructure — This question tests Manage and provision cloud infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Delete action with condition age: 30. — Option C is correct because the 'Delete action with condition age: 30' directly instructs Cloud Storage to remove objects 30 days after their creation time. The 'age' condition is measured from the object's creation timestamp, which aligns perfectly with the requirement to delete objects exactly 30 days after creation.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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