- A
Private DNS zones
Why wrong: Private zones are per-project; they don't automatically resolve across projects.
- B
DNS forwarding
Why wrong: DNS forwarding is for on-premises resolution, not cross-project.
- C
Shared VPC
Why wrong: Shared VPC shares subnets, not DNS zones.
- D
DNS peering
DNS peering enables cross-project DNS resolution.
PCNE Practice Question: Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of designing, planning, and prototyping a gcp network. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 needs to resolve DNS queries for a private zone (e.g., corp.example.com) from multiple GCP projects that are not in the same organization. Which Cloud DNS feature should they use?
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
DNS peering
DNS peering allows you to resolve DNS queries across different GCP projects, even if they are not in the same organization, by establishing a peering relationship between two VPC networks. This enables the private zone (corp.example.com) in one project to be queried from instances in another project without exposing the zone to the internet or requiring shared VPC.
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.
- ✗
Private DNS zones
Why it's wrong here
Private zones are per-project; they don't automatically resolve across projects.
- ✗
DNS forwarding
Why it's wrong here
DNS forwarding is for on-premises resolution, not cross-project.
- ✗
Shared VPC
Why it's wrong here
Shared VPC shares subnets, not DNS zones.
- ✓
DNS peering
Why this is correct
DNS peering enables cross-project DNS resolution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that Shared VPC is required for cross-project DNS resolution, but the trap here is that DNS peering works across organizations without the organizational hierarchy constraint of Shared VPC.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DNS peering works by creating a peering zone in the source VPC that points to the target VPC's private zone, using a one-way or bidirectional relationship. Under the hood, Cloud DNS uses internal DNS namespaces and the peering configuration updates the DNS resolver in the source VPC to forward queries for the specified zone to the target VPC's authoritative servers. In a real-world scenario, this is useful for multi-organization mergers or acquisitions where separate GCP organizations need to resolve each other's internal DNS names without merging VPCs or using public DNS.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network — This question tests Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: DNS peering — DNS peering allows you to resolve DNS queries across different GCP projects, even if they are not in the same organization, by establishing a peering relationship between two VPC networks. This enables the private zone (corp.example.com) in one project to be queried from instances in another project without exposing the zone to the internet or requiring shared VPC.
What should I do if I get this PCNE 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: Jul 4, 2026
This PCNE 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 PCNE exam.
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