- A
To track the number of bugs in production
Why wrong: Error budgets track uptime/availability, not bugs.
- B
To allocate budget for cloud resources
Why wrong: Budget here refers to reliability, not cost.
- C
To measure customer satisfaction
Why wrong: Error budgets measure acceptable unreliability, not satisfaction.
- D
To determine how much risk the service can tolerate while maintaining the SLO
Error budget = 100% - SLO; it defines the maximum allowed downtime/errors before violating the SLO.
PCDE Practice Question: Applying Site Reliability Engineering Practices to a Service
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of applying site reliability engineering practices to a service. 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.
What is the primary purpose of an error budget?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
To determine how much risk the service can tolerate while maintaining the SLO
An error budget is the amount of acceptable unreliability (e.g., downtime) within an SLO. It allows teams to balance reliability with innovation by permitting some failures.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To track the number of bugs in production
Why it's wrong here
Error budgets track uptime/availability, not bugs.
- ✗
To allocate budget for cloud resources
Why it's wrong here
Budget here refers to reliability, not cost.
- ✗
To measure customer satisfaction
Why it's wrong here
Error budgets measure acceptable unreliability, not satisfaction.
- ✓
To determine how much risk the service can tolerate while maintaining the SLO
Why this is correct
Error budget = 100% - SLO; it defines the maximum allowed downtime/errors before violating the SLO.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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. ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement. 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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PCDE ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDE question test?
Applying Site Reliability Engineering Practices to a Service — This question tests Applying Site Reliability Engineering Practices to a Service — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: To determine how much risk the service can tolerate while maintaining the SLO — An error budget is the amount of acceptable unreliability (e.g., downtime) within an SLO. It allows teams to balance reliability with innovation by permitting some failures.
What should I do if I get this PCDE question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PCDE ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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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.
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