The answer is Preemptible VM. This is the most cost-effective compute option for a fault-tolerant batch job because Preemptible VMs offer up to an 80% discount over standard instances while providing identical compute capacity, making them ideal for short-duration, interruptible workloads like your daily 10-minute file processing task. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of choosing the right compute pricing model for stateless, fault-tolerant jobs—a common trap is selecting standard VMs or even Spot VMs without recognizing that Preemptible VMs are the simplest, lowest-cost option for batch jobs that can handle preemption. Remember the memory tip: “Preemptible for pennies, perfect for short and fault-tolerant batch jobs.”
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 company runs a batch job daily that processes large files from Cloud Storage and stores results in BigQuery. The job requires significant compute for about 10 minutes and is fault-tolerant. Which compute option is most cost-effective?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Preemptible VM
Option D is correct because Preemptible VMs offer the same compute capacity as regular VMs at a significantly lower cost (up to 80% discount), and since the batch job runs for only 10 minutes daily and is fault-tolerant, it can handle the occasional preemption without data loss. The job's short duration and fault tolerance make preemptible instances ideal, as they can be restarted if terminated.
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.
✗
Cloud Run Jobs
Why it's wrong here
Good but may be more expensive than preemptible VMs for the same job.
✗
Always-on Compute Engine VM
Why it's wrong here
Costly compared to preemptible VMs for a short batch job.
✗
GKE cluster with a single node
Why it's wrong here
Overhead and cost of a cluster, unnecessary for a simple batch job.
✓
Preemptible VM
Why this is correct
Low cost, suitable for fault-tolerant and short-lived workloads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Cloud Functions (9-minute timeout)
Why it's wrong here
Timeout may be too short for a 10-minute job; also not designed for intensive compute.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that Cloud Functions or Cloud Run Jobs are always the cheapest serverless options, but the trap here is that the 9-minute timeout of Cloud Functions disqualifies it, and candidates overlook the cost savings of preemptible VMs for fault-tolerant, short-duration batch jobs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Preemptible VMs are Compute Engine instances that last up to 24 hours but can be terminated at any time with a 30-second notice; they are ideal for fault-tolerant batch jobs because the job can be checkpointed and resumed. Under the hood, preemptible VMs use spare capacity in Google's data centers, allowing Google to offer them at a steep discount, but they are not covered by any SLA. In practice, a job that runs for 10 minutes daily has a very low probability of being preempted during that window, making this a highly cost-effective choice.
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 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.
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.
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: Preemptible VM — Option D is correct because Preemptible VMs offer the same compute capacity as regular VMs at a significantly lower cost (up to 80% discount), and since the batch job runs for only 10 minutes daily and is fault-tolerant, it can handle the occasional preemption without data loss. The job's short duration and fault tolerance make preemptible instances ideal, as they can be restarted if terminated.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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