Google PCA Manage and provision cloud infrastructure Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage and provision cloud infrastructure. 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.
Which TWO are required to allow on-premises hosts to access Google APIs using internal IP addresses (Private Google Access)? (Choose 2)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN connection between on-premises and VPC
A Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN connection is required to establish private, encrypted connectivity between on-premises hosts and a VPC network. This provides the network path for on-premises traffic to reach Google APIs using internal IP addresses, bypassing the public internet. Without this direct connection, on-premises hosts cannot leverage Private Google Access, which only applies to traffic originating within Google Cloud subnets.
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.
✓
A Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN connection between on-premises and VPC
Why this is correct
Provides network connectivity between on-premises and GCP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A Cloud Router instance configured in the on-premises network
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Router is useful but not a requirement for Private Google Access.
✗
VPC Service Controls enabled
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls is a security feature, not a connectivity requirement.
✓
Private Google Access enabled on the subnet that the on-premises traffic will use
Why this is correct
Allows resources in that subnet to reach Google APIs via internal IPs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A private DNS zone for googleapis.com
Why it's wrong here
DNS is not required; Private Google Access uses the default internal DNS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that a Cloud Router or DNS zone is required for Private Google Access, but the core requirement is simply the private network connectivity (Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN) and the subnet-level feature enablement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Private Google Access works by routing traffic from VMs in a subnet (with the feature enabled) to Google APIs via the internal Google Cloud backbone, using RFC 1918 addresses. For on-premises hosts, the traffic must first reach the VPC through Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN, and then the VPC routes it to the Google API endpoints using internal IPs. A subtle behavior is that the on-premises traffic must have a route in the VPC pointing to the default internet gateway (for Private Google Access) or a custom route, but the connectivity layer is the prerequisite.
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 and provision cloud infrastructure — This question tests Manage and provision cloud infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN connection between on-premises and VPC — A Cloud Interconnect or Cloud VPN connection is required to establish private, encrypted connectivity between on-premises hosts and a VPC network. This provides the network path for on-premises traffic to reach Google APIs using internal IP addresses, bypassing the public internet. Without this direct connection, on-premises hosts cannot leverage Private Google Access, which only applies to traffic originating within Google Cloud subnets.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.