Google PCA Design and plan a cloud solution architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design and plan 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 data analytics company runs nightly batch jobs using Compute Engine instances. The jobs can tolerate interruptions, and the company wants to minimize costs. What should they do?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Preemptible VMs cost much less than standard VMs and can be interrupted, acceptable for batch jobs that are checkpointed.
B
Use C2 high-CPU machine types for faster processing.
Why wrong: C2 machine types are premium and more expensive per hour.
C
Use standard (on-demand) VMs and commit to a 1-year resource-based commitment.
Why wrong: On-demand VMs are more expensive than preemptible; committed use discounts help but are not as cost-effective as preemptible for interruptible workloads.
D
Deploy VMs on Sole-tenant nodes for cost isolation.
Why wrong: Sole-tenant nodes are more expensive as they provide dedicated hardware.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use preemptible VMs for the batch jobs.
Preemptible VMs (now called Spot VMs) are Compute Engine instances that last up to 24 hours and can be terminated at any time by Google Cloud. Because the batch jobs are interruptible, using preemptible VMs reduces compute costs by up to 60-91% compared to standard on-demand VMs, directly meeting the goal of minimizing costs.
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.
✓
Use preemptible VMs for the batch jobs.
Why this is correct
Preemptible VMs cost much less than standard VMs and can be interrupted, acceptable for batch jobs that are checkpointed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use C2 high-CPU machine types for faster processing.
Why it's wrong here
C2 machine types are premium and more expensive per hour.
✗
Use standard (on-demand) VMs and commit to a 1-year resource-based commitment.
Why it's wrong here
On-demand VMs are more expensive than preemptible; committed use discounts help but are not as cost-effective as preemptible for interruptible workloads.
✗
Deploy VMs on Sole-tenant nodes for cost isolation.
Why it's wrong here
Sole-tenant nodes are more expensive as they provide dedicated hardware.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse preemptible VMs with standard VMs and assume they are unreliable for any workload, but the question explicitly states the jobs can tolerate interruptions, making preemptible VMs the correct cost-saving choice.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Preemptible VMs use Google's surplus compute capacity and are subject to termination with a 30-second warning via ACPI G3 Mechanical Off signal. They cannot be migrated or live migrated, and they are not covered by any SLA. For batch jobs that can checkpoint progress to persistent storage or Cloud Storage, preemptible VMs are ideal; a common pattern is to use a managed instance group with a preemptible template and a fallback to on-demand VMs if preemptible capacity is unavailable.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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.
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — This question tests Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use preemptible VMs for the batch jobs. — Preemptible VMs (now called Spot VMs) are Compute Engine instances that last up to 24 hours and can be terminated at any time by Google Cloud. Because the batch jobs are interruptible, using preemptible VMs reduces compute costs by up to 60-91% compared to standard on-demand VMs, directly meeting the goal of minimizing costs.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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