Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud architecture. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 startup is setting up a CI/CD pipeline for their web application using Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy. They have configured a Cloud Build trigger that executes on pushes to the main branch of a Cloud Source Repositories repository. The trigger runs a build step that builds a Docker image and pushes it to Artifact Registry, then creates a release using Cloud Deploy. The pipeline fails with an error message indicating that the Cloud Build service account does not have permission to create releases. What should the architect do to resolve the issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add the Cloud Deploy Developer IAM role to the Cloud Build service account.
The Cloud Build service account (typically the Compute Engine default service account or a custom service account) needs the Cloud Deploy Developer IAM role (roles/clouddeploy.developer) to create releases in Cloud Deploy. This role grants the necessary permissions, such as clouddeploy.releases.create, which are required for the Cloud Build trigger to successfully create a release after building and pushing the Docker image. Without this role, the pipeline fails with a permission error, making option A the correct resolution.
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.
✓
Add the Cloud Deploy Developer IAM role to the Cloud Build service account.
Why this is correct
Correct: The Cloud Build service account needs roles/clouddeploy.developer to create releases.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Verify that the cloudbuild.yaml file contains the correct steps.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The error is about permissions, not configuration syntax.
✗
Enable the Cloud Deploy API for the project.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The API is likely already enabled; the issue is IAM permissions.
✗
Grant the Cloud Build service account the Cloud Run Admin role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Cloud Run Admin is not sufficient for Cloud Deploy operations.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates might assume the Cloud Build service account has sufficient permissions by default (e.g., via the Editor role) or confuse Cloud Deploy permissions with Cloud Run permissions, leading them to select the Cloud Run Admin role instead of the specific Cloud Deploy Developer role.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud Deploy uses IAM roles with specific permissions like clouddeploy.releases.create and clouddeploy.releases.get, which are included in the Cloud Deploy Developer role but not in broader roles like Editor or Cloud Run Admin. In a real-world scenario, if the Cloud Build service account is the default Compute Engine service account (project-number-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com), it often lacks these granular permissions unless explicitly granted. This is a common oversight when setting up CI/CD pipelines that span multiple services, as each service (Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy, Artifact Registry) requires its own IAM bindings.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add the Cloud Deploy Developer IAM role to the Cloud Build service account. — The Cloud Build service account (typically the Compute Engine default service account or a custom service account) needs the Cloud Deploy Developer IAM role (roles/clouddeploy.developer) to create releases in Cloud Deploy. This role grants the necessary permissions, such as clouddeploy.releases.create, which are required for the Cloud Build trigger to successfully create a release after building and pushing the Docker image. Without this role, the pipeline fails with a permission error, making option A the correct resolution.
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.
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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