- A
Create a service account, generate a JSON key, and store it on the instance.
Why wrong: Using keys is discouraged; they can be leaked or rotated.
- B
Use the default Compute Engine service account and grant it the Storage Object Viewer role.
Why wrong: Default service accounts are not recommended due to broad permissions. Using a custom service account is preferable.
- C
Use Application Default Credentials (ADC) without a service account.
Why wrong: ADC requires a service account to be attached to the instance or a key file to be present.
- D
Create a custom service account, grant it required roles, and attach it to the Compute Engine instance.
This follows the principle of least privilege and avoids key management.
Question 343 of 985
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 developer needs to deploy an application on Compute Engine that reads from a Cloud Storage bucket. The engineer wants to avoid managing service account keys. What is the recommended approach to grant the necessary 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
✓
Create a custom service account, grant it required roles, and attach it to the Compute Engine instance.
Option D is correct because attaching a custom service account directly to a Compute Engine instance is the recommended approach to avoid managing service account keys. This method uses the instance's metadata to provide credentials via the instance metadata server, eliminating the need to download, store, or rotate JSON key files. The custom service account can be granted only the required roles (e.g., Storage Object Viewer) following the principle of least privilege.
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.
- ✗
Create a service account, generate a JSON key, and store it on the instance.
Why it's wrong here
Using keys is discouraged; they can be leaked or rotated.
- ✗
Use the default Compute Engine service account and grant it the Storage Object Viewer role.
Why it's wrong here
Default service accounts are not recommended due to broad permissions. Using a custom service account is preferable.
- ✗
Use Application Default Credentials (ADC) without a service account.
Why it's wrong here
ADC requires a service account to be attached to the instance or a key file to be present.
- ✓
Create a custom service account, grant it required roles, and attach it to the Compute Engine instance.
Why this is correct
This follows the principle of least privilege and avoids key management.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that the default Compute Engine service account is the simplest and most secure choice, but the trap is that it usually has excessive permissions (e.g., the editor role) and is not recommended for production; the correct approach is to create a custom service account with minimal roles and attach it to the instance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a custom service account is attached to a Compute Engine instance, the instance metadata server automatically provides OAuth 2.0 access tokens to applications running on the instance. These tokens are obtained via the metadata server endpoint (http://metadata.google.internal/computeMetadata/v1/instance/service-accounts/default/token) and are automatically refreshed, ensuring secure, keyless authentication. This approach also supports automatic rotation of credentials and integrates seamlessly with Google Cloud Client Libraries that use ADC to discover credentials.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment — study guide chapter
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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: Create a custom service account, grant it required roles, and attach it to the Compute Engine instance. — Option D is correct because attaching a custom service account directly to a Compute Engine instance is the recommended approach to avoid managing service account keys. This method uses the instance's metadata to provide credentials via the instance metadata server, eliminating the need to download, store, or rotate JSON key files. The custom service account can be granted only the required roles (e.g., Storage Object Viewer) following the principle of least privilege.
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.
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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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