- A
roles/compute.networkUser
This role grants permissions to use the subnet for creating resources.
- B
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
Why wrong: This role allows managing instances but not necessarily subnet usage without networkUser.
- C
roles/compute.networkAdmin
Why wrong: NetworkAdmin has full control over networks, too broad.
- D
roles/iam.securityAdmin
Why wrong: SecurityAdmin manages IAM policies, not subnet usage.
Question 166 of 1,000
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.
An organization uses Shared VPC with a host project and multiple service projects. They want to allow a service project team to create Compute Engine instances using a specific subnet, but not manage other subnets. Which IAM role should they grant at the subnet level?
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
✓
roles/compute.networkUser
The roles/compute.networkUser role grants read-only access to VPC networks, subnets, and firewall rules, and allows the creation of resources like Compute Engine instances on a specific subnet without granting management permissions over other subnets. This is the correct choice because it provides the minimum required permissions for a service project team to use a designated subnet while preventing them from modifying or viewing other subnets in the host project.
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.
- ✓
roles/compute.networkUser
Why this is correct
This role grants permissions to use the subnet for creating resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
Why it's wrong here
This role allows managing instances but not necessarily subnet usage without networkUser.
- ✗
roles/compute.networkAdmin
Why it's wrong here
NetworkAdmin has full control over networks, too broad.
- ✗
roles/iam.securityAdmin
Why it's wrong here
SecurityAdmin manages IAM policies, not subnet usage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1 includes subnet usage permissions, but in reality, it only covers instance lifecycle operations and does not grant the compute.subnets.use permission required to attach an instance to a specific subnet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Shared VPC uses IAM conditions at the subnet level to control which service project identities can use specific subnets; the roles/compute.networkUser role, when granted on a subnet resource, includes the compute.subnets.use permission, which is required to attach a network interface to that subnet during instance creation. A subtle behavior is that without the compute.subnets.use permission on the subnet, even if the user has instanceAdmin.v1, they will receive a permission denied error when trying to select the subnet in the gcloud compute instances create command or the console. In a real-world scenario, an organization might grant this role to a DevOps team for a development subnet while keeping production subnets restricted to a central networking team.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network — study guide chapter
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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: roles/compute.networkUser — The roles/compute.networkUser role grants read-only access to VPC networks, subnets, and firewall rules, and allows the creation of resources like Compute Engine instances on a specific subnet without granting management permissions over other subnets. This is the correct choice because it provides the minimum required permissions for a service project team to use a designated subnet while preventing them from modifying or viewing other subnets in the host project.
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.
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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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