- A
Deploy to a staging cluster first, then manually promote to production using kubectl.
Why wrong: Manual promotion is error-prone and does not enforce the mandatory validation steps as an automated pipeline would.
- B
Use Cloud Build with a multi-step pipeline that includes test and security scan steps, and only promote to production after successful completion.
This ensures that only containers that pass all checks are deployed, maintaining quality and security.
- C
Use Cloud Deploy to automate delivery with approval gates.
Why wrong: While Cloud Deploy can enforce approvals, the question specifically asks about using Cloud Build. This adds another service and does not directly integrate with Cloud Build's pipeline.
- D
Configure Cloud Build triggers to deploy directly to production on every push.
Why wrong: This bypasses validation checks and could deploy untested or insecure code to production.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use Cloud Build with a multi-step pipeline that includes test and security scan steps, and only promote to production after successful completion. This approach is correct because it enforces a sequential gate where unit tests and container vulnerability scans must pass before the image is deployed to GKE, ensuring only validated artifacts reach production. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Cloud Build’s native ability to chain build, test, and scan steps within a single config, contrasting with the trap of using Cloud Deploy (which adds unnecessary complexity for a simple pipeline) or manual promotion (which defeats automation). The search intent “cloud build security scan pipeline gke” highlights the core concept: you must integrate security scanning as a blocking step, not a post-deployment afterthought. Memory tip: think “Test, Scan, Deploy” in that exact order—if either fails, the pipeline stops, protecting your GKE cluster from unverified images.
PCD Practice Question: Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications. 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 development team is using Cloud Build to deploy containerized applications to GKE. They want to ensure that only containers that have passed security scans and unit tests are deployed to production. Which approach should they use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use Cloud Build with a multi-step pipeline that includes test and security scan steps, and only promote to production after successful completion.
Using a multi-step Cloud Build pipeline with test and security scan steps, and then promoting to production only after success, ensures only validated containers are deployed. Direct deployment to production on every push is risky. Manual promotion defeats automation. Cloud Deploy adds unnecessary complexity for this simple requirement. Thus, option B is correct.
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.
- ✗
Deploy to a staging cluster first, then manually promote to production using kubectl.
Why it's wrong here
Manual promotion is error-prone and does not enforce the mandatory validation steps as an automated pipeline would.
- ✓
Use Cloud Build with a multi-step pipeline that includes test and security scan steps, and only promote to production after successful completion.
Why this is correct
This ensures that only containers that pass all checks are deployed, maintaining quality and security.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud Deploy to automate delivery with approval gates.
Why it's wrong here
While Cloud Deploy can enforce approvals, the question specifically asks about using Cloud Build. This adds another service and does not directly integrate with Cloud Build's pipeline.
- ✗
Configure Cloud Build triggers to deploy directly to production on every push.
Why it's wrong here
This bypasses validation checks and could deploy untested or insecure code to production.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — This question tests Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud Build with a multi-step pipeline that includes test and security scan steps, and only promote to production after successful completion. — Using a multi-step Cloud Build pipeline with test and security scan steps, and then promoting to production only after success, ensures only validated containers are deployed. Direct deployment to production on every push is risky. Manual promotion defeats automation. Cloud Deploy adds unnecessary complexity for this simple requirement. Thus, option B is correct.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which PCD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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