This PCA practice question tests your understanding of designing and planning a cloud solution architecture. 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 needs to run a batch job that processes data stored in Cloud Storage. The job runs once per day and takes about 2 hours on 8 vCPUs. Cost is the primary concern, and the job can be interrupted. Which compute option is MOST cost-effective?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Standard VM (on-demand)
Why wrong: On-demand VMs are more expensive than preemptible for short batch jobs.
Spot VM
Why wrong: Spot VMs are similar to preemptible but may have slightly higher cost; preemptible is the cheapest.
Preemptible VM
Preemptible VMs offer the lowest cost for fault-tolerant batch jobs.
Sole-tenant node
Why wrong: Sole-tenant nodes are more expensive and used for licensing or security requirements.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Preemptible VM
Preemptible VMs are significantly cheaper than regular VMs and can be interrupted, which is acceptable for this batch job. Spot VMs are similar but with dynamic pricing; however, preemptible VMs are the most cost-effective for short, fault-tolerant workloads. Standard VMs are more expensive. Sole-tenant nodes are for isolation, not cost savings.
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.
Standard VM (on-demand)
Why it's wrong here
On-demand VMs are more expensive than preemptible for short batch jobs.
Spot VM
Why it's wrong here
Spot VMs are similar to preemptible but may have slightly higher cost; preemptible is the cheapest.
Preemptible VM
Why this is correct
Preemptible VMs offer the lowest cost for fault-tolerant batch jobs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Sole-tenant node
Why it's wrong here
Sole-tenant nodes are more expensive and used for licensing or security requirements.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
Spot VMs are similar to preemptible but may have slightly higher cost; preemptible is the cheapest.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which PCA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Designing and Planning a Cloud Solution Architecture — This question tests Designing and Planning a Cloud Solution Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Preemptible VM — Preemptible VMs are significantly cheaper than regular VMs and can be interrupted, which is acceptable for this batch job. Spot VMs are similar but with dynamic pricing; however, preemptible VMs are the most cost-effective for short, fault-tolerant workloads. Standard VMs are more expensive. Sole-tenant nodes are for isolation, not cost savings.
Identify which PCA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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