- A
Create a Cloud External Key Manager (EKM) key and configure BigQuery to use it. The EKM provider handles key rotation.
Why wrong: EKM is for keys managed externally; the company wants CMEK, not EKM.
- B
Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key, disable automatic rotation, and use Cloud Functions to rotate the key manually every 90 days. Enable Admin Activity audit logs for Cloud KMS.
Why wrong: Automatic rotation is simpler and supported; manual rotation via Cloud Functions adds complexity. Also Admin Activity logs only record configuration changes, not key usage.
- C
Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key using a protection level of HSM and set a rotation period of 90 days. Then configure the BigQuery dataset to use this key.
Why wrong: HSM protection level is optional; software keys are sufficient unless compliance requires HSM. Also, key usage audit logs are not automatically enabled for CMEK.
- D
Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key using a protection level of software and set a rotation period of 90 days. Then configure BigQuery to use the key and enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud KMS.
Software keys are acceptable; rotation period in KMS handles automatic rotation. Enabling Data Access audit logs for KMS captures key usage.
PCSE Supporting compliance requirements Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 multi-national company needs to ensure that customer data stored in BigQuery is encrypted with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) and that the keys are rotated every 90 days. Additionally, the company must be able to audit all key usage. Which steps are required to implement this compliance requirement?
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 Cloud KMS key ring with a key using a protection level of software and set a rotation period of 90 days. Then configure BigQuery to use the key and enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud KMS.
Option D is correct because it uses a Cloud KMS software-protection-level key with a 90-day rotation period, which meets the CMEK requirement for BigQuery. Enabling Data Access audit logs for Cloud KMS captures all key usage events, satisfying the auditing requirement. Automatic rotation in Cloud KMS handles the 90-day rotation without manual intervention, and BigQuery is configured to use the CMEK key for dataset encryption.
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 Cloud External Key Manager (EKM) key and configure BigQuery to use it. The EKM provider handles key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
EKM is for keys managed externally; the company wants CMEK, not EKM.
- ✗
Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key, disable automatic rotation, and use Cloud Functions to rotate the key manually every 90 days. Enable Admin Activity audit logs for Cloud KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Automatic rotation is simpler and supported; manual rotation via Cloud Functions adds complexity. Also Admin Activity logs only record configuration changes, not key usage.
- ✗
Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key using a protection level of HSM and set a rotation period of 90 days. Then configure the BigQuery dataset to use this key.
Why it's wrong here
HSM protection level is optional; software keys are sufficient unless compliance requires HSM. Also, key usage audit logs are not automatically enabled for CMEK.
- ✓
Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key using a protection level of software and set a rotation period of 90 days. Then configure BigQuery to use the key and enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud KMS.
Why this is correct
Software keys are acceptable; rotation period in KMS handles automatic rotation. Enabling Data Access audit logs for KMS captures key usage.
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 distinction between Admin Activity audit logs (which record configuration changes) and Data Access audit logs (which record data operations like key usage), leading candidates to choose options that omit the required Data Access logging.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud KMS automatic rotation creates a new key version at the specified interval (e.g., 90 days) and promotes it as the primary key, while older versions remain available for decryption of existing data. BigQuery CMEK integration uses the key's current primary version for encryption of new data, and Data Access audit logs record every call to the Cloud KMS API (e.g., `Decrypt`, `Encrypt`) at the project level, enabling detailed usage tracking. In a real-world scenario, failing to enable Data Access audit logs would leave key usage unmonitored, violating compliance requirements like SOC 2 or PCI DSS.
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
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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: Create a Cloud KMS key ring with a key using a protection level of software and set a rotation period of 90 days. Then configure BigQuery to use the key and enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud KMS. — Option D is correct because it uses a Cloud KMS software-protection-level key with a 90-day rotation period, which meets the CMEK requirement for BigQuery. Enabling Data Access audit logs for Cloud KMS captures all key usage events, satisfying the auditing requirement. Automatic rotation in Cloud KMS handles the 90-day rotation without manual intervention, and BigQuery is configured to use the CMEK key for dataset encryption.
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: 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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