- A
Use the DDL statement to drop the table after 30 days using a scheduled query.
Scheduled query to drop table after 30 days ensures data deletion while minimizing costs.
- B
Create a Cloud Function to export the data before deletion.
Why wrong: Export is not required and would keep data longer.
- C
Set a table retention policy of 30 days using ALTER TABLE SET OPTIONS.
Why wrong: Retention policy prevents deletion before expiration, not enforce deletion.
- D
Set the Time Travel window to 7 days and the Fail-safe storage window to 23 days.
This ensures data is recoverable for 30 days, after which it is automatically deleted, complying with the requirement.
- E
Use BigQuery continuous backups with a 30-day retention.
Why wrong: Continuous backups would increase storage costs unnecessarily.
Quick Answer
The answer is to set the Time Travel window to 7 days and the Fail-safe storage window to 23 days. This configuration ensures that when a DDL statement like DROP TABLE is executed via a scheduled query exactly 30 days after a deletion request, all copies of the data—including those in Time Travel and Fail-safe storage—are fully purged within the GDPR-mandated window, while also minimizing storage costs by not retaining data longer than necessary. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of BigQuery’s data lifecycle features and how they intersect with regulatory compliance; a common trap is confusing Time Travel (which allows querying deleted data) with Fail-safe (which is for emergency recovery and cannot be queried). Remember the mnemonic “7 for query, 23 for grave” to recall that Time Travel is set to 7 days for active recovery, while the remaining 23 days in Fail-safe ensure total deletion by day 30.
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.
A global e-commerce company must comply with GDPR and CCPA. They use BigQuery to store customer data and need to ensure that when a user requests data deletion, all copies are deleted within 30 days. Additionally, they want to minimize storage costs. Which TWO actions should they take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Use the DDL statement to drop the table after 30 days using a scheduled query.
Option A is correct because using a DDL statement (e.g., DROP TABLE) in a scheduled query allows you to delete the entire table after exactly 30 days, ensuring all data copies (including storage and any snapshots) are removed. This directly meets the GDPR/CCPA deletion requirement while minimizing storage costs by not retaining data beyond the mandated period.
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.
- ✓
Use the DDL statement to drop the table after 30 days using a scheduled query.
Why this is correct
Scheduled query to drop table after 30 days ensures data deletion while minimizing costs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a Cloud Function to export the data before deletion.
Why it's wrong here
Export is not required and would keep data longer.
- ✗
Set a table retention policy of 30 days using ALTER TABLE SET OPTIONS.
Why it's wrong here
Retention policy prevents deletion before expiration, not enforce deletion.
- ✓
Set the Time Travel window to 7 days and the Fail-safe storage window to 23 days.
Why this is correct
This ensures data is recoverable for 30 days, after which it is automatically deleted, complying with the requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use BigQuery continuous backups with a 30-day retention.
Why it's wrong here
Continuous backups would increase storage costs unnecessarily.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that BigQuery has a direct table retention policy (like ALTER TABLE SET OPTIONS) when in reality, retention is managed through time travel and fail-safe storage windows, not a table-level option.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BigQuery's time travel window (default 7 days) allows querying historical data, and fail-safe storage (default 7 days) provides recovery from accidental deletion. By setting time travel to 7 days and fail-safe to 23 days (total 30 days), you ensure data is recoverable for 30 days but automatically purged after that, aligning with deletion timelines. Scheduled queries using DDL can drop tables at a precise time, but combining with time travel/fail-safe settings provides a cost-effective, automated compliance solution without manual intervention.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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?
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: Use the DDL statement to drop the table after 30 days using a scheduled query. — Option A is correct because using a DDL statement (e.g., DROP TABLE) in a scheduled query allows you to delete the entire table after exactly 30 days, ensuring all data copies (including storage and any snapshots) are removed. This directly meets the GDPR/CCPA deletion requirement while minimizing storage costs by not retaining data beyond the mandated period.
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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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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