- A
roles/compute.networkAdmin
Why wrong: This role manages networking, not instances.
- B
roles/compute.admin
Why wrong: This role allows full control, including create and delete.
- C
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
This role allows modifying, starting, stopping, but not creating or deleting instances.
- D
roles/compute.viewer
Why wrong: This role is read-only.
Question 55 of 1,000
PCDE Practice Question: Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of bootstrapping a google cloud organisation for devops. 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.
An organization wants to implement least-privilege IAM for their DevOps team. They need permissions to manage Compute Engine instances but not to create or delete them. Which IAM role should be assigned?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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
✓
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
The role roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1 provides permissions to manage Compute Engine instances, including starting, stopping, and modifying them, but explicitly excludes the ability to create or delete instances. This aligns with the least-privilege requirement for the DevOps team, as they need operational control without lifecycle management rights.
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.
- ✗
roles/compute.networkAdmin
Why it's wrong here
This role manages networking, not instances.
- ✗
roles/compute.admin
Why it's wrong here
This role allows full control, including create and delete.
- ✓
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
Why this is correct
This role allows modifying, starting, stopping, but not creating or deleting instances.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
roles/compute.viewer
Why it's wrong here
This role is read-only.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse roles/compute.admin with instanceAdmin.v1, assuming 'admin' implies management without realizing it includes full lifecycle permissions, or they pick roles/compute.networkAdmin thinking it covers instance management due to the word 'network'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1 includes permissions such as compute.instances.start, compute.instances.stop, and compute.instances.setMetadata, but excludes compute.instances.create and compute.instances.delete. This granularity is achieved through IAM's role-based access control, where predefined roles bundle specific API permissions. In a real-world scenario, this role is ideal for a DevOps team that needs to perform maintenance tasks like patching or scaling instances without risking accidental creation or deletion of resources.
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.
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.
- →
Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PCDE questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PCDE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PCDE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Building and Implementing CI/CD Pipelines for a Service practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Building and Implementing CI/CD Pipelines for a Service.
Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps.
Applying Site Reliability Engineering Practices to a Service practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Applying Site Reliability Engineering Practices to a Service.
Implementing Service Monitoring Strategies practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Implementing Service Monitoring Strategies.
Optimising Service Performance practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Optimising Service Performance.
Plan and manage database infrastructure practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Plan and manage database infrastructure.
Define data structures and implement SQL for Business Intelligence practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Define data structures and implement SQL for Business Intelligence.
Design and implement database schemas practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Design and implement database schemas.
Monitor and optimize database performance practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to Monitor and optimize database performance.
PCDE fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to PCDE fundamentals.
PCDE scenario practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to PCDE scenario.
PCDE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PCDE questions linked to PCDE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCDE practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDE question test?
Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps — This question tests Bootstrapping a Google Cloud Organisation for DevOps — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1 — The role roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1 provides permissions to manage Compute Engine instances, including starting, stopping, and modifying them, but explicitly excludes the ability to create or delete instances. This aligns with the least-privilege requirement for the DevOps team, as they need operational control without lifecycle management rights.
What should I do if I get this PCDE 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: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCDE 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 PCDE 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.