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Supporting compliance requirements →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

PCSE Supporting compliance requirements Practice Question

This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

Exhibit: Cloud Audit Log entry (partial):
```json
{
  "logName": "projects/my-project/logs/cloudaudit.googleapis.com%2Factivity",
  "protoPayload": {
    "@type": "type.googleapis.com/google.cloud.audit.AuditLog",
    "authenticationInfo": {
      "principalEmail": "user@example.com"
    },
    "requestMetadata": {
      "callerIp": "203.0.113.5",
      "callerSuppliedUserAgent": "gcloud/363.0.0"
    },
    "serviceName": "compute.googleapis.com",
    "methodName": "v1.compute.instances.insert",
    "resourceName": "projects/my-project/zones/us-central1-a/instances/new-instance",
    "response": {
      "insertId": "abc123"
    },
    "status": {}
  }
}
```

A compliance officer reviews the Cloud Audit Log entry above and wants to know if any sensitive data was exposed during the instance creation. What is the best course of action?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

Exhibit: Cloud Audit Log entry (partial):
```json
{
  "logName": "projects/my-project/logs/cloudaudit.googleapis.com%2Factivity",
  "protoPayload": {
    "@type": "type.googleapis.com/google.cloud.audit.AuditLog",
    "authenticationInfo": {
      "principalEmail": "user@example.com"
    },
    "requestMetadata": {
      "callerIp": "203.0.113.5",
      "callerSuppliedUserAgent": "gcloud/363.0.0"
    },
    "serviceName": "compute.googleapis.com",
    "methodName": "v1.compute.instances.insert",
    "resourceName": "projects/my-project/zones/us-central1-a/instances/new-instance",
    "response": {
      "insertId": "abc123"
    },
    "status": {}
  }
}
```

A
Enable data access audit logs for Compute Engine to capture request payloads.
Data access logs include full request and response data.
B
Check the status field to see if the operation failed, which might indicate a misconfiguration.
Why wrong: The status is empty (success), but no data is exposed in activity logs.
C
Analyze the log entry to see the image used; the image metadata is included.
Why wrong: Activity logs do not include request/response payloads by default.
D
Use Cloud DLP to scan the log entry for sensitive data.
Why wrong: The log entry does not contain the actual data sent in the request.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 data access audit logs for Compute Engine to capture request payloads.

Option A is correct because enabling data access audit logs for Compute Engine captures the request payloads of API calls, including the instance creation request. This allows the compliance officer to inspect the exact parameters sent, such as any sensitive data that might have been passed as metadata or startup scripts, which are not included in the default admin activity audit logs. Data access audit logs provide the granularity needed to determine if sensitive data was exposed during the operation.

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 data access audit logs for Compute Engine to capture request payloads.
Why this is correct
Data access logs include full request and response data.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Check the status field to see if the operation failed, which might indicate a misconfiguration.
Why it's wrong here
The status is empty (success), but no data is exposed in activity logs.
✗
Analyze the log entry to see the image used; the image metadata is included.
Why it's wrong here
Activity logs do not include request/response payloads by default.
✗
Use Cloud DLP to scan the log entry for sensitive data.
Why it's wrong here
The log entry does not contain the actual data sent in the request.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates assume the default audit logs already contain enough detail to inspect payloads, but they do not — only enabling data access audit logs provides the request payload data needed to check for sensitive data exposure.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, Cloud Audit Logs have three tiers: Admin Activity, Data Access, and System Event. By default, only Admin Activity logs are enabled, which record metadata about API calls but not the request or response payloads. Data Access audit logs, when enabled for Compute Engine, capture the full request payloads (e.g., the instance resource JSON), allowing inspection of fields like metadata, labels, and startup scripts where sensitive data might be inadvertently placed. This is critical for compliance scenarios where you need to verify that no secrets or PII were passed during resource creation.

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.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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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: Enable data access audit logs for Compute Engine to capture request payloads. — Option A is correct because enabling data access audit logs for Compute Engine captures the request payloads of API calls, including the instance creation request. This allows the compliance officer to inspect the exact parameters sent, such as any sensitive data that might have been passed as metadata or startup scripts, which are not included in the default admin activity audit logs. Data access audit logs provide the granularity needed to determine if sensitive data was exposed during the operation.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026

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