Quick Answer
The answer is TIMESTAMP and ARRAY, as these are two of the supported data types in Cloud Spanner schemas. Cloud Spanner, a globally distributed relational database, supports standard SQL types like INT64, FLOAT64, STRING, BOOL, BYTES, DATE, and TIMESTAMP, along with the ARRAY type for storing ordered lists of non-ARRAY elements. The GEOMETRY type is unsupported, TINYINT is not a Spanner type (use INT64 instead), and TEXT is not valid (use STRING). On the Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam, this question tests your familiarity with Spanner’s schema limitations, often appearing as a trap where candidates confuse Spanner with MySQL or PostgreSQL dialects. A common memory tip is to remember that Spanner avoids legacy or spatial types—stick to the core SQL standard plus ARRAY. For quick recall, think “Spanner supports TIMESTAMP for time and ARRAY for lists, but no TINYINT, GEOMETRY, or TEXT.”
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of design and implement database schemas. 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.
Which TWO data types are supported in Cloud Spanner schemas?
ARRAY
ARRAY is supported for storing repeated values of a specific type.
GEOMETRY
Why wrong: Spanner does not support spatial data types.
TIMESTAMP
TIMESTAMP is a supported data type in Spanner.
TEXT
Why wrong: Use STRING instead of TEXT.
TINYINT
Why wrong: Cloud Spanner uses INT64 for integer types.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
ARRAY
Options B and D are correct. Cloud Spanner supports ARRAY and TIMESTAMP. Option A is wrong because TINYINT is not a Spanner type (use INT64). Option C is wrong because GEOMETRY is not supported. Option E is wrong because TEXT is not a supported type (use STRING).
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
ARRAY
Why this is correct
ARRAY is supported for storing repeated values of a specific type.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
GEOMETRY
Why it's wrong here
Spanner does not support spatial data types.
TIMESTAMP
Why this is correct
TIMESTAMP is a supported data type in Spanner.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
TEXT
Why it's wrong here
Use STRING instead of TEXT.
TINYINT
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Spanner uses INT64 for integer types.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which PCDE 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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FAQ
Design and implement database schemas — This question tests Design and implement database schemas — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: ARRAY — Options B and D are correct. Cloud Spanner supports ARRAY and TIMESTAMP. Option A is wrong because TINYINT is not a Spanner type (use INT64). Option C is wrong because GEOMETRY is not supported. Option E is wrong because TEXT is not a supported type (use STRING).
Identify which PCDE 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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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