Google PCA Manage and provision cloud infrastructure Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage and provision cloud infrastructure. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 methods can be used to restrict inbound traffic to a Compute Engine instance to only specific IP addresses without relying on instance-level firewall rules? (Choose 2)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create firewall rules in the VPC network
Option C is correct because VPC firewall rules operate at the network level, not the instance level, and can be configured to allow inbound traffic only from specific source IP ranges (e.g., using the 'sourceRanges' field). These rules are applied to all instances in the VPC or subnet, independent of any instance-level configuration, making them a valid method to restrict traffic without relying on instance-level firewall rules.
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 VPC Service Controls
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls control data exfiltration, not inbound traffic.
✗
Configure Cloud Armor policies
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Armor protects at the load balancer, not for instances without a load balancer.
✓
Create firewall rules in the VPC network
Why this is correct
Firewall rules can restrict inbound traffic based on source IP ranges.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Assign a service account to the instance
Why it's wrong here
Service accounts control outbound API access, not inbound traffic.
✓
Use Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) for TCP forwarding
Why this is correct
IAP allows TCP forwarding after authenticating and authorizing the user.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between network-level controls (VPC firewall rules) and instance-level controls (like guest OS firewalls), and candidates may incorrectly think that service accounts or VPC Service Controls can filter inbound IP traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC firewall rules are stateful and evaluated at the network interface level; they support both ingress and egress rules with source/target tags and service accounts. The 'sourceRanges' parameter uses CIDR notation (e.g., 203.0.113.0/24) to specify allowed source IPs, and rules are applied hierarchically (network-level, then subnet-level) before any instance-level iptables rules. In a real-world scenario, you might combine VPC firewall rules with IAP TCP forwarding to allow SSH access from a bastion host while blocking all other inbound traffic.
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: Create firewall rules in the VPC network — Option C is correct because VPC firewall rules operate at the network level, not the instance level, and can be configured to allow inbound traffic only from specific source IP ranges (e.g., using the 'sourceRanges' field). These rules are applied to all instances in the VPC or subnet, independent of any instance-level configuration, making them a valid method to restrict traffic without relying on instance-level firewall rules.
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.