This PCDOE practice question tests your understanding of building and implementing ci/cd pipelines. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 is using Cloud Build to build a Go application. The build fails with an error 'no Go files in /workspace'. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The repository has no Go files.
Why wrong: If there were no Go files, the build wouldn't be configured to build Go.
The build step is running in the wrong directory.
The error indicates no Go files found in /workspace, confirming a directory mismatch.
The Go module is not properly initialized.
Why wrong: This would cause a different error.
Cloud Build is unable to clone the repository.
Why wrong: A clone issue would show a different error.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The build step is running in the wrong directory.
Cloud Build copies the repository contents to /workspace. If the Go source files are in a subdirectory, the build step might be pointing to the wrong directory.
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.
The repository has no Go files.
Why it's wrong here
If there were no Go files, the build wouldn't be configured to build Go.
The build step is running in the wrong directory.
Why this is correct
The error indicates no Go files found in /workspace, confirming a directory mismatch.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The Go module is not properly initialized.
Why it's wrong here
This would cause a different error.
Cloud Build is unable to clone the repository.
Why it's wrong here
A clone issue would show a different error.
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
A clone issue would show a different error.
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 PCDOE 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
Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines — This question tests Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The build step is running in the wrong directory. — Cloud Build copies the repository contents to /workspace. If the Go source files are in a subdirectory, the build step might be pointing to the wrong directory.
Identify which PCDOE 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.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PCDOE 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 PCDOE exam.
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