This PCA practice question tests your understanding of designing for security and compliance. 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 wants to use Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) for data at rest in Cloud Storage, but also needs to ensure that the keys are stored in a hardware security module (HSM) to meet compliance requirements. Which Cloud KMS key type should they choose?
Predefined key
Why wrong: Predefined keys are Google-managed, not CMEK.
External key (Cloud External Key Manager)
Why wrong: External keys are managed outside Google Cloud, not necessarily in an HSM.
Software-backed key
Why wrong: Software keys are not stored in an HSM.
Cloud HSM key
Cloud HSM keys are stored in FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified HSMs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Cloud HSM key
Cloud HSM provides HSM-backed keys that are FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified. Using Cloud HSM for the CMEK ensures the key material is stored in a hardware security module.
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.
Predefined key
Why it's wrong here
Predefined keys are Google-managed, not CMEK.
External key (Cloud External Key Manager)
Why it's wrong here
External keys are managed outside Google Cloud, not necessarily in an HSM.
Software-backed key
Why it's wrong here
Software keys are not stored in an HSM.
Cloud HSM key
Why this is correct
Cloud HSM keys are stored in FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified HSMs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
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 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
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 for Security and Compliance — This question tests Designing for Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Cloud HSM key — Cloud HSM provides HSM-backed keys that are FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified. Using Cloud HSM for the CMEK ensures the key material is stored in a hardware security module.
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.
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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