This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud 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 uses Cloud Bigtable for time-series data. They experience high latency and uneven load distribution across nodes. 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.
The data is stored in a single column family
Why wrong: Column families don't affect distribution.
The app is using strong reads instead of eventual consistency
Why wrong: Strong reads are not the cause of uneven load.
The table has a single row key pattern that causes hot spotting
Sequential row keys lead to hot spots.
The cluster has too many nodes
Why wrong: More nodes usually improve performance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The table has a single row key pattern that causes hot spotting
Cloud Bigtable partitions data by row key range and distributes tablets across nodes. A single row key pattern (e.g., monotonically increasing timestamps) causes all writes to target the same tablet, creating a hot spot. This leads to uneven load distribution and high latency because one node is overwhelmed while others remain idle.
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.
The data is stored in a single column family
Why it's wrong here
Column families don't affect distribution.
The app is using strong reads instead of eventual consistency
Why it's wrong here
Strong reads are not the cause of uneven load.
The table has a single row key pattern that causes hot spotting
Why this is correct
Sequential row keys lead to hot spots.
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 cluster has too many nodes
Why it's wrong here
More nodes usually improve performance.
Common exam traps
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that column families or read consistency levels are the root cause of performance issues, when in fact row key design is the primary driver of load distribution in Bigtable.
Detailed technical explanation
Cloud Bigtable uses a distributed, sorted map (based on Google's Bigtable paper) where each tablet is a contiguous range of row keys. When row keys are sequential (e.g., timestamp-based), all writes land on the same tablet server until it splits, causing a hotspot. A common mitigation is to use a field reversal or salting technique (e.g., prefixing the row key with a hash of the user ID) to spread writes across the key space. Under the hood, Bigtable's tablet splitting is asynchronous and can lag behind write spikes, exacerbating latency.
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Manage implementation of cloud architecture practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All PCA questions
509 questions across all exam domains
Google Professional Cloud Architect study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
PCA practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise PCA questions linked to Design and plan a cloud solution architecture.
Practise PCA questions linked to Manage and provision cloud infrastructure.
Practise PCA questions linked to Design for security and compliance.
Practise PCA questions linked to Analyze and optimize technical and business processes.
Practise PCA questions linked to Manage implementation of cloud architecture.
Practise PCA questions linked to Ensure solution and operations reliability.
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA fundamentals.
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA scenario.
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The table has a single row key pattern that causes hot spotting — Cloud Bigtable partitions data by row key range and distributes tablets across nodes. A single row key pattern (e.g., monotonically increasing timestamps) causes all writes to target the same tablet, creating a hot spot. This leads to uneven load distribution and high latency because one node is overwhelmed while others remain idle.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.