- A
Create a geo routing policy with us-east1 as primary and us-west1 as secondary
Why wrong: Geo routing policy routes based on location, not health.
- B
Use a response policy to override the DNS response
Why wrong: Response policy is for overriding DNS responses, not failover.
- C
Create a failover routing policy with primary and secondary targets, each associated with a health check
Failover policy uses health checks to determine active target.
- D
Create two A records with weighting 100 and 0
Why wrong: Weighted round robin does not support health-based failover.
PCNE Configuring Network Services Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network services. 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 wants to use Cloud DNS with a failover routing policy. They have two IP addresses serving the same application: primary in us-east1 and secondary in us-west1. They want traffic to go to primary unless health check fails, then fail over to secondary. Which configuration is required?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Create a failover routing policy with primary and secondary targets, each associated with a health check
Cloud DNS failover routing policy requires health checks to be attached to the routing policy. The primary and secondary targets are defined under the policy.
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.
- ✗
Create a geo routing policy with us-east1 as primary and us-west1 as secondary
Why it's wrong here
Geo routing policy routes based on location, not health.
- ✗
Use a response policy to override the DNS response
Why it's wrong here
Response policy is for overriding DNS responses, not failover.
- ✓
Create a failover routing policy with primary and secondary targets, each associated with a health check
Why this is correct
Failover policy uses health checks to determine active target.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create two A records with weighting 100 and 0
Why it's wrong here
Weighted round robin does not support health-based failover.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 PCNE 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.
- →
Configuring Network Services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
Configuring Network Services — This question tests Configuring Network Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a failover routing policy with primary and secondary targets, each associated with a health check — Cloud DNS failover routing policy requires health checks to be attached to the routing policy. The primary and secondary targets are defined under the policy.
What should I do if I get this PCNE question wrong?
Identify which PCNE 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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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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