- A
Reconfigure Cloud Build to store images in a different Artifact Registry repository.
Why wrong: This would change the path but not fix the mismatch if the pipeline still points to the old path.
- B
Grant the Cloud Deploy service account the roles/artifactregistry.reader role on the project.
Why wrong: The Cloud Deploy service account already has permission via the pipeline; the issue is the image path, not permissions.
- C
Ensure that the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline references the correct image path, including the project ID and repository.
The most common cause is a misconfigured image reference in the delivery pipeline. Correcting the path resolves the error.
- D
Change the Cloud Build service account to include the roles/clouddeploy.jobRunner role.
Why wrong: The clouddeploy.jobRunner role is for running jobs, not for resolving image references.
PCDOE Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines Practice Question
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 runs a CI/CD pipeline using Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy for a web application. The pipeline builds a container image, pushes it to Artifact Registry, and then deploys it to a GKE cluster using Cloud Deploy. Recently, the deployment step started failing with the error: 'INVALID_ARGUMENT: The release contains one or more images that are not in the target project's Artifact Registry.' The container image is built in the same project as the target cluster. The Cloud Build service account has been granted the roles/cloudbuild.builds.builder and roles/artifactregistry.admin on the project. The DevOps engineer verified that the image exists in Artifact Registry and the path is correct. What should the DevOps engineer do to resolve the issue?
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
Ensure that the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline references the correct image path, including the project ID and repository.
Option C is correct because the error 'INVALID_ARGUMENT: The release contains one or more images that are not in the target project's Artifact Registry' indicates that the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline is referencing an image path that does not match the actual location of the image. Even though the image exists in Artifact Registry and the path appears correct, Cloud Deploy validates the image reference (including project ID, repository name, and image tag) against the target project's registry. The engineer must ensure the delivery pipeline YAML or configuration explicitly specifies the correct full image path, including the project ID and repository, so that Cloud Deploy can resolve and verify the image during release creation.
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.
- ✗
Reconfigure Cloud Build to store images in a different Artifact Registry repository.
Why it's wrong here
This would change the path but not fix the mismatch if the pipeline still points to the old path.
- ✗
Grant the Cloud Deploy service account the roles/artifactregistry.reader role on the project.
Why it's wrong here
The Cloud Deploy service account already has permission via the pipeline; the issue is the image path, not permissions.
- ✓
Ensure that the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline references the correct image path, including the project ID and repository.
Why this is correct
The most common cause is a misconfigured image reference in the delivery pipeline. Correcting the path resolves the error.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Change the Cloud Build service account to include the roles/clouddeploy.jobRunner role.
Why it's wrong here
The clouddeploy.jobRunner role is for running jobs, not for resolving image references.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the error is a permissions issue (leading them to grant roles to service accounts) when it is actually a configuration mismatch in the image path referenced by the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Deploy validates image references at release creation time by checking that the fully qualified image path (e.g., LOCATION-docker.pkg.dev/PROJECT_ID/REPOSITORY/IMAGE:TAG) exists in the target project's Artifact Registry. This validation occurs before any deployment rollout, and the path must exactly match the registry's hierarchy, including the region-specific domain (e.g., us-central1-docker.pkg.dev). A common subtlety is that if the pipeline references an image using a short name or omits the project ID, Cloud Deploy will reject the release even if the image is present, because it cannot resolve the path to a specific registry location.
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.
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Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDOE question test?
Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines — This question tests Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Ensure that the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline references the correct image path, including the project ID and repository. — Option C is correct because the error 'INVALID_ARGUMENT: The release contains one or more images that are not in the target project's Artifact Registry' indicates that the Cloud Deploy delivery pipeline is referencing an image path that does not match the actual location of the image. Even though the image exists in Artifact Registry and the path appears correct, Cloud Deploy validates the image reference (including project ID, repository name, and image tag) against the target project's registry. The engineer must ensure the delivery pipeline YAML or configuration explicitly specifies the correct full image path, including the project ID and repository, so that Cloud Deploy can resolve and verify the image during release creation.
What should I do if I get this PCDOE 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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