- A
Use the default compute engine service account and grant it BigQuery Admin (roles/bigquery.admin) and Storage Admin (roles/storage.admin).
Why wrong: Too permissive and uses default service account which is not recommended.
- B
Create a custom role with bigquery.datasets.get, bigquery.tables.get, bigquery.tables.getData, storage.objects.create, storage.objects.get, and storage.objects.list.
This custom role follows least privilege, granting only read on BigQuery and write on Storage.
- C
Grant the service account the BigQuery Data Owner role (roles/bigquery.dataOwner) and Storage Admin (roles/storage.admin).
Why wrong: These roles are overly permissive; BigQuery Data Owner allows data deletion, and Storage Admin allows bucket management and deletion.
- D
Grant the service account the BigQuery Data Viewer (roles/bigquery.dataViewer) and Storage Object Viewer (roles/storage.objectViewer).
Why wrong: Storage Object Viewer does not allow writing objects.
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 security engineer is configuring access for a service account used by a batch job that runs on Compute Engine. The job needs to read from a BigQuery dataset and write results to Cloud Storage. What is the recommended way to grant these 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 role with bigquery.datasets.get, bigquery.tables.get, bigquery.tables.getData, storage.objects.create, storage.objects.get, and storage.objects.list.
Create a custom role with the required BigQuery and Storage permissions, or use predefined roles: BigQuery Data Viewer (roles/bigquery.dataViewer) and Storage Object Admin (roles/storage.objectAdmin) for write access. The best practice is to use the principle of least privilege: grant only the necessary permissions. Predefined roles are acceptable if they match the needs.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 default compute engine service account and grant it BigQuery Admin (roles/bigquery.admin) and Storage Admin (roles/storage.admin).
Why it's wrong here
Too permissive and uses default service account which is not recommended.
- ✓
Create a custom role with bigquery.datasets.get, bigquery.tables.get, bigquery.tables.getData, storage.objects.create, storage.objects.get, and storage.objects.list.
Why this is correct
This custom role follows least privilege, granting only read on BigQuery and write on Storage.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
- ✗
Grant the service account the BigQuery Data Owner role (roles/bigquery.dataOwner) and Storage Admin (roles/storage.admin).
Why it's wrong here
These roles are overly permissive; BigQuery Data Owner allows data deletion, and Storage Admin allows bucket management and deletion.
- ✗
Grant the service account the BigQuery Data Viewer (roles/bigquery.dataViewer) and Storage Object Viewer (roles/storage.objectViewer).
Why it's wrong here
Storage Object Viewer does not allow writing objects.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCSE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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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 — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a custom role with bigquery.datasets.get, bigquery.tables.get, bigquery.tables.getData, storage.objects.create, storage.objects.get, and storage.objects.list. — Create a custom role with the required BigQuery and Storage permissions, or use predefined roles: BigQuery Data Viewer (roles/bigquery.dataViewer) and Storage Object Admin (roles/storage.objectAdmin) for write access. The best practice is to use the principle of least privilege: grant only the necessary permissions. Predefined roles are acceptable if they match the needs.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCSE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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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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