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Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is the service account is missing the `roles/clouddeploy.approver` role, which includes the `clouddeploy.releases.promote` permission. This error occurs because Cloud Deploy requires explicit approval permission to promote a release from one target to the next in a delivery pipeline; without it, the system returns the `FAILED_PRECONDITION` status, indicating the release cannot advance. On the Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Cloud Deploy’s role-based promotion workflow, often appearing as a trick where candidates assume the Cloud Build service account’s existing permissions (like `clouddeploy.operator`) are sufficient. A common trap is overlooking that promotion is a separate action from deployment or rollout creation. Memory tip: think of promotion as needing an “approver” stamp—if you can’t promote, you’re missing the `clouddeploy.approver` role.

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.

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

```
{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "role": "roles/cloudbuild.builds.builder",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:my-project@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/clouddeploy.jobRunner",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:my-project@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/clouddeploy.operator",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:my-project@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

A Cloud Deploy pipeline fails during a rollout with: 'FAILED_PRECONDITION: The release is not in a state that can be promoted.' The Cloud Build service account has the IAM roles shown in the exhibit. What is the missing role or permission?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

```
{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "role": "roles/cloudbuild.builds.builder",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:my-project@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/clouddeploy.jobRunner",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:my-project@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    },
    {
      "role": "roles/clouddeploy.operator",
      "members": [
        "serviceAccount:my-project@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com"
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

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

✓

The service account is missing the 'roles/clouddeploy.approver' role, which includes the 'clouddeploy.releases.promote' permission.

The error 'FAILED_PRECONDITION: The release is not in a state that can be promoted' occurs when a Cloud Deploy pipeline attempts to promote a release but the service account lacks the `clouddeploy.releases.promote` permission. This permission is included in the `roles/clouddeploy.approver` role, which is required to trigger a promotion from one target to the next in the pipeline. Without this role, the release cannot be promoted even if other deployment permissions are present.

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.

  • ✗

    The service account is missing the 'roles/clouddeploy.jobRunner' role.

    Why it's wrong here

    It already has that role; jobRunner does not include promote.

  • ✗

    The service account is missing the 'roles/cloudbuild.builds.builder' role.

    Why it's wrong here

    It already has that role; the error is about Cloud Deploy promotion.

  • ✗

    The service account is missing the 'roles/clouddeploy.operator' role.

    Why it's wrong here

    It already has that role; operator does not include promote.

  • ✓

    The service account is missing the 'roles/clouddeploy.approver' role, which includes the 'clouddeploy.releases.promote' permission.

    Why this is correct

    Approver role is needed for promotion.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google Cloud often tests the distinction between the `clouddeploy.operator` role (which manages releases and rollouts) and the `clouddeploy.approver` role (which specifically allows promotion), leading candidates to mistakenly choose the operator role for promotion actions.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Cloud Deploy promotions are gated by the `clouddeploy.releases.promote` permission, which is only present in the `roles/clouddeploy.approver` role (and custom roles). This permission is checked at the release level, not the target level, and is separate from permissions required for rollout execution (e.g., `clouddeploy.jobRunner`). In a multi-target pipeline, the service account must have this role on the release's project or the pipeline's project to advance the release to the next target, even if the account has full permissions on the target clusters.

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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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: The service account is missing the 'roles/clouddeploy.approver' role, which includes the 'clouddeploy.releases.promote' permission. — The error 'FAILED_PRECONDITION: The release is not in a state that can be promoted' occurs when a Cloud Deploy pipeline attempts to promote a release but the service account lacks the `clouddeploy.releases.promote` permission. This permission is included in the `roles/clouddeploy.approver` role, which is required to trigger a promotion from one target to the next in the pipeline. Without this role, the release cannot be promoted even if other deployment permissions are present.

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.

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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026

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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.