- A
Grant the user 'roles/cloudsql.viewer' on the project. In the database, grant SELECT on orders to 'analyst@example.com'.
Why wrong: cloudsql.viewer does not allow connecting to the instance.
- B
Grant the user 'cloudsql.instances.connect' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analyst@example.com' with 'cloudsqllogin' role and grant SELECT on orders to that user.
Why wrong: Granting IAM permission to the user individually is unnecessary if the group already has it; the group membership should be used.
- C
Grant the group 'roles/cloudsql.instanceUser' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analysts@example.com' (the group) and grant SELECT on orders to that group.
Why wrong: IAM group cannot be directly mapped to a database user; you need individual user mapping.
- D
Grant the group 'analysts@example.com' the role 'roles/cloudsql.instanceUser' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analyst@example.com' with 'cloudsqllogin' role and grant SELECT on orders to that user.
Correct approach: IAM group gets instanceUser, then database user created with cloudsqllogin and table-level grant.
Quick Answer
The correct combination is to grant the IAM group 'analysts@example.com' the `roles/cloudsql.instanceUser` role on the Cloud SQL instance, then create a database user named 'analyst@example.com' with the `cloudsqllogin` role and grant SELECT on the orders table to that user. This works because IAM database authentication for Cloud SQL PostgreSQL requires a two-layer mapping: the IAM group permission controls instance connectivity, while the database user must exactly match the individual IAM user’s email—not the group—to authenticate via the `cloudsqllogin` role, which then allows fine-grained table-level grants. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding that IAM groups cannot directly own database objects; a common trap is creating a database user for the group instead of the individual user. Remember the key distinction: IAM groups get instance access, but database users must be the individual IAM email. A helpful mnemonic is “Group for the gate, user for the table.”
PCSE Practice Question: Configuring access within a cloud solution environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access within a cloud solution environment. 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 uses Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL with IAM database authentication. A security engineer needs to grant a user named 'analyst@example.com' the ability to run SELECT queries on the 'orders' table. The user is a member of the group 'analysts@example.com'. What is the correct combination of IAM and database permissions?
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
Grant the group 'analysts@example.com' the role 'roles/cloudsql.instanceUser' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analyst@example.com' with 'cloudsqllogin' role and grant SELECT on orders to that user.
Option D is correct because IAM database authentication requires granting the IAM group the `roles/cloudsql.instanceUser` role on the instance to allow members to connect, and then creating a database user with the same name as the IAM user (not the group) with the `cloudsqllogin` role, which maps the IAM user to the database. Granting SELECT on the `orders` table to that database user then allows the IAM user to query the table.
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.
- ✗
Grant the user 'roles/cloudsql.viewer' on the project. In the database, grant SELECT on orders to 'analyst@example.com'.
Why it's wrong here
cloudsql.viewer does not allow connecting to the instance.
- ✗
Grant the user 'cloudsql.instances.connect' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analyst@example.com' with 'cloudsqllogin' role and grant SELECT on orders to that user.
Why it's wrong here
Granting IAM permission to the user individually is unnecessary if the group already has it; the group membership should be used.
- ✗
Grant the group 'roles/cloudsql.instanceUser' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analysts@example.com' (the group) and grant SELECT on orders to that group.
Why it's wrong here
IAM group cannot be directly mapped to a database user; you need individual user mapping.
- ✓
Grant the group 'analysts@example.com' the role 'roles/cloudsql.instanceUser' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analyst@example.com' with 'cloudsqllogin' role and grant SELECT on orders to that user.
Why this is correct
Correct approach: IAM group gets instanceUser, then database user created with cloudsqllogin and table-level grant.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that the database user should be created with the group email address instead of the individual user's email, leading candidates to pick Option C, which incorrectly assumes the group name is used in the database.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAM database authentication for Cloud SQL PostgreSQL works by mapping IAM principals to database roles using the `cloudsqllogin` role, which is a Cloud SQL-specific database role that allows the IAM user to authenticate via a short-lived OAuth 2.0 token. The database user must be created with the exact email address of the IAM user (e.g., `analyst@example.com`), and the IAM group binding (`roles/cloudsql.instanceUser`) grants all group members the ability to connect, but each member still needs their own database user. This design decouples IAM group membership from database user creation, ensuring fine-grained access control.
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.
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 access within a cloud solution environment — This question tests Configuring access within a cloud solution environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Grant the group 'analysts@example.com' the role 'roles/cloudsql.instanceUser' on the instance. In the database, create a user 'analyst@example.com' with 'cloudsqllogin' role and grant SELECT on orders to that user. — Option D is correct because IAM database authentication requires granting the IAM group the `roles/cloudsql.instanceUser` role on the instance to allow members to connect, and then creating a database user with the same name as the IAM user (not the group) with the `cloudsqllogin` role, which maps the IAM user to the database. Granting SELECT on the `orders` table to that database user then allows the IAM user to query the table.
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 30, 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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