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. 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 team runs periodic BigQuery queries on a large dataset. They notice high costs due to full table scans. They want to reduce costs and improve query performance. Which two actions should they take? (Choose two options that best fit the scenario.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Partition the table by a date/timestamp column
Partitioning and clustering in BigQuery limit the data scanned by queries, reducing cost and improving performance. Using materialized views can also pre-aggregate data. Avoiding SELECT * is a best practice. The question asks for two actions; the best combination is partitioning by a time field and clustering on frequently filtered columns.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 SELECT * only when necessary
Why it's wrong here
This is a best practice but not a specific action to take on the table structure.
✓
Partition the table by a date/timestamp column
Why this is correct
Partitioning prunes scans to relevant partitions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use materialized views to pre-aggregate data
Why it's wrong here
This is also beneficial but not the primary two actions for reducing scans in this scenario.
✓
Cluster the table on frequently filtered columns
Why this is correct
Clustering sorts data for more efficient pruning.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
This is also beneficial but not the primary two actions for reducing scans in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes — This question tests Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Partition the table by a date/timestamp column — Partitioning and clustering in BigQuery limit the data scanned by queries, reducing cost and improving performance. Using materialized views can also pre-aggregate data. Avoiding SELECT * is a best practice. The question asks for two actions; the best combination is partitioning by a time field and clustering on frequently filtered columns.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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