Google PCA Practice Question: Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of analysing and optimising technical and business processes. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 wants to reduce costs for a batch analytics job that runs nightly for 4 hours on Compute Engine VMs. The job is fault-tolerant and can handle instance restarts. Which Compute Engine VM pricing model is MOST cost-effective?
Why wrong: Similar to 1-year CUD, a 3-year commitment is too long and inflexible for a batch job that runs only 4 hours per day.
B
1-year committed use discount (CUD)
Why wrong: CUDs require a 1-year commitment, which is not flexible for a nightly 4-hour job. They also require consistent usage to be cost-effective.
C
Sustained use discounts
Why wrong: Sustained use discounts apply automatically but require running a VM for a significant portion of the month. A nightly 4-hour job may not benefit fully.
D
Preemptible VMs
Preemptible VMs offer the maximum discount (approx. 60-80%) and are designed for fault-tolerant, batch workloads that can be interrupted and restarted.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Preemptible VMs
Preemptible VMs offer the lowest cost (up to 80% discount) and are ideal for fault-tolerant, short-lived batch workloads that can handle interruptions. Sustained use discounts apply automatically but require running a VM for at least 25% of a month. Committed use discounts require a 1- or 3-year commitment and are not as flexible for a short nightly job.
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.
✗
3-year committed use discount (CUD)
Why it's wrong here
Similar to 1-year CUD, a 3-year commitment is too long and inflexible for a batch job that runs only 4 hours per day.
✗
1-year committed use discount (CUD)
Why it's wrong here
CUDs require a 1-year commitment, which is not flexible for a nightly 4-hour job. They also require consistent usage to be cost-effective.
✗
Sustained use discounts
Why it's wrong here
Sustained use discounts apply automatically but require running a VM for a significant portion of the month. A nightly 4-hour job may not benefit fully.
✓
Preemptible VMs
Why this is correct
Preemptible VMs offer the maximum discount (approx. 60-80%) and are designed for fault-tolerant, batch workloads that can be interrupted and restarted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
Similar to 1-year CUD, a 3-year commitment is too long and inflexible for a batch job that runs only 4 hours per day.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
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.
Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes — This question tests Analysing and Optimising 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: Preemptible VMs — Preemptible VMs offer the lowest cost (up to 80% discount) and are ideal for fault-tolerant, short-lived batch workloads that can handle interruptions. Sustained use discounts apply automatically but require running a VM for at least 25% of a month. Committed use discounts require a 1- or 3-year commitment and are not as flexible for a short nightly job.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
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.
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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