- A
Enable bucket-level IAM conditions.
Why wrong: IAM conditions control access but do not prevent deletion or overwrite by authorized users.
- B
Configure an object lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years.
Why wrong: Lifecycle rules delete objects automatically; they do not protect against premature deletion.
- C
Use Cloud KMS to encrypt objects and destroy the key after 7 years.
Why wrong: Destroying the key only prevents decryption; the objects themselves can still be deleted.
- D
Apply a retention policy and lock the bucket using Bucket Lock.
Retention policy with Bucket Lock enforces WORM compliance, making objects immutable until the retention period ends.
Question 830 of 985
PCSE Supporting Compliance Requirements Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. 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 needs to retain critical financial records for 7 years to comply with SEC regulations. They choose to store the records in Cloud Storage. Which feature should they enable to ensure the records cannot be deleted or overwritten before the retention period expires?
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
✓
Apply a retention policy and lock the bucket using Bucket Lock.
Object Retention Lock in Cloud Storage allows you to set a retention policy on a bucket, which uses a WORM (Write Once Read Many) model. Once an object is stored, it cannot be deleted or overwritten until the retention period expires. Bucket Lock locks the retention policy, preventing changes. IAM conditions and lifecycle rules do not enforce immutability.
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.
- ✗
Enable bucket-level IAM conditions.
Why it's wrong here
IAM conditions control access but do not prevent deletion or overwrite by authorized users.
- ✗
Configure an object lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle rules delete objects automatically; they do not protect against premature deletion.
- ✗
Use Cloud KMS to encrypt objects and destroy the key after 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Destroying the key only prevents decryption; the objects themselves can still be deleted.
- ✓
Apply a retention policy and lock the bucket using Bucket Lock.
Why this is correct
Retention policy with Bucket Lock enforces WORM compliance, making objects immutable until the retention period ends.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 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.
Identify which PCSE 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.
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Supporting Compliance Requirements — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Supporting Compliance Requirements — This question tests Supporting Compliance Requirements — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply a retention policy and lock the bucket using Bucket Lock. — Object Retention Lock in Cloud Storage allows you to set a retention policy on a bucket, which uses a WORM (Write Once Read Many) model. Once an object is stored, it cannot be deleted or overwritten until the retention period expires. Bucket Lock locks the retention policy, preventing changes. IAM conditions and lifecycle rules do not enforce immutability.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Identify which PCSE 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.
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 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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