This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploying applications. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Network Topology
A developer runs the above command to build and push a container image to Container Registry, but receives the error shown. The developer has the 'Cloud Build Editor' role on the project. What is the most likely cause of the error?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Cloud Build service account has not been enabled or does not have permission to act on behalf of the user.
The error occurs because the Cloud Build service account (typically the Compute Engine default service account or a user-specified service account) lacks the necessary permissions to push the container image to Container Registry. Even though the developer has the 'Cloud Build Editor' role, Cloud Build itself needs a service account with appropriate IAM roles (e.g., Storage Object Admin) to write to the registry. The error is not about the developer's direct permissions but about the service account that Cloud Build uses to execute the build and push.
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.
✗
The Cloud Storage bucket for storing build artifacts does not exist.
Why it's wrong here
The error is about permissions, not missing bucket.
✗
The developer's user account has been revoked access to the project.
Why it's wrong here
The error indicates the user has some permissions but not this specific one.
✓
The Cloud Build service account has not been enabled or does not have permission to act on behalf of the user.
Why this is correct
The Cloud Build service account needs to be enabled and have appropriate roles.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The developer does not have the 'cloudbuild.builds.create' permission because the Cloud Build Editor role does not include it.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Build Editor includes cloudbuild.builds.create.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between user-level permissions and service account permissions; the trap here is that candidates assume the user's role (Cloud Build Editor) is sufficient for the entire build process, ignoring that Cloud Build acts on behalf of a service account that requires separate IAM roles.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud Build uses a service account (by default the Compute Engine default service account) to execute build steps and push images. This service account must have the 'storage.objectAdmin' role (or equivalent) on the Container Registry bucket (e.g., gs://artifacts.[PROJECT_ID].appspot.com). If the service account is disabled or lacks these permissions, the build will fail with a permission error even if the user has full access. In real-world scenarios, this often happens when a project is created without enabling the Cloud Build API or when the default service account is deleted or its permissions are modified.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Deploying applications — This question tests Deploying applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The Cloud Build service account has not been enabled or does not have permission to act on behalf of the user. — The error occurs because the Cloud Build service account (typically the Compute Engine default service account or a user-specified service account) lacks the necessary permissions to push the container image to Container Registry. Even though the developer has the 'Cloud Build Editor' role, Cloud Build itself needs a service account with appropriate IAM roles (e.g., Storage Object Admin) to write to the registry. The error is not about the developer's direct permissions but about the service account that Cloud Build uses to execute the build and push.
What should I do if I get this PCD 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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 PCD 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 PCD 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.