- A
Set up Cloud VPN and use Private Google Access on the VPC.
Why wrong: Cloud VPN is not a dedicated private connection; it uses the public internet.
- B
Apply VPC Service Controls and enable Private Google Access on the subnet.
Why wrong: VPC Service Controls do not route traffic; Private Google Access on subnet only covers VMs in that subnet.
- C
Configure Cloud NAT on the VPC and on-premises route via the interconnect.
Why wrong: Cloud NAT is for internet access, not for private Google access; it would route through public IPs.
- D
Enable Private Google Access on the VPC subnet and advertise the default route (0.0.0.0/0) from on-premises with a specific route for Google APIs (199.36.153.4/30) pointing to the interconnect.
Private Google Access allows VMs to reach Google APIs via private IPs; on-premises can use custom routes to reach Google APIs via the interconnect.
PCSE Configuring network security Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 has an on-premises data center connected to Google Cloud via a Dedicated Interconnect. They want to allow instances in a VPC (10.0.0.0/8) to access Google APIs (e.g., Cloud Storage) without traversing the public internet. They also want to ensure that traffic from on-premises to Google APIs uses the same private path. Which configuration is required?
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
Enable Private Google Access on the VPC subnet and advertise the default route (0.0.0.0/0) from on-premises with a specific route for Google APIs (199.36.153.4/30) pointing to the interconnect.
Option D is correct because it enables Private Google Access on the VPC subnet, which allows instances with private IPs to reach Google APIs without public internet. Additionally, advertising a default route (0.0.0.0/0) from on-premises via the Dedicated Interconnect ensures that on-premises traffic to Google APIs also uses the private path, while the specific route for Google APIs (199.36.153.4/30) overrides the default to direct API traffic through the interconnect, avoiding asymmetric routing.
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.
- ✗
Set up Cloud VPN and use Private Google Access on the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud VPN is not a dedicated private connection; it uses the public internet.
- ✗
Apply VPC Service Controls and enable Private Google Access on the subnet.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls do not route traffic; Private Google Access on subnet only covers VMs in that subnet.
- ✗
Configure Cloud NAT on the VPC and on-premises route via the interconnect.
- ✓
Enable Private Google Access on the VPC subnet and advertise the default route (0.0.0.0/0) from on-premises with a specific route for Google APIs (199.36.153.4/30) pointing to the interconnect.
Why this is correct
Private Google Access allows VMs to reach Google APIs via private IPs; on-premises can use custom routes to reach Google APIs via the interconnect.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Private Google Access with Cloud NAT or VPC Service Controls, not realizing that Private Google Access requires a specific route (199.36.153.4/30) and a default route from on-premises to ensure bidirectional private connectivity over Dedicated Interconnect.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Private Google Access uses RFC 1918 addresses to reach Google APIs via the 199.36.153.4/30 IP range, which is advertised by Google Cloud over Direct Peering or Dedicated Interconnect. The on-premises router must advertise a default route (0.0.0.0/0) to the VPC to attract all traffic, but a more specific route for 199.36.153.4/30 is needed to ensure Google API traffic from on-premises is sent over the interconnect rather than the public internet, preventing asymmetric routing where return traffic might take a different path.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring network security — This question tests Configuring network security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Private Google Access on the VPC subnet and advertise the default route (0.0.0.0/0) from on-premises with a specific route for Google APIs (199.36.153.4/30) pointing to the interconnect. — Option D is correct because it enables Private Google Access on the VPC subnet, which allows instances with private IPs to reach Google APIs without public internet. Additionally, advertising a default route (0.0.0.0/0) from on-premises via the Dedicated Interconnect ensures that on-premises traffic to Google APIs also uses the private path, while the specific route for Google APIs (199.36.153.4/30) overrides the default to direct API traffic through the interconnect, avoiding asymmetric routing.
What should I do if I get this PCSE 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 PCSE 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 PCSE exam.
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