- A
Secret Manager with a service account key
Why wrong: Still uses a key, which is to be avoided.
- B
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why wrong: IAP controls access to web applications, not workloads from external clouds.
- C
Cloud VPN
Why wrong: VPN provides network connectivity, not identity-based access.
- D
Workload Identity Federation
Allows AWS workloads to impersonate a GCP SA using AWS IAM roles without keys.
Question 271 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 security team needs to allow a third-party application running on AWS to access a Cloud Storage bucket without using service account keys. The application already uses AWS IAM roles. Which Google Cloud feature should they use?
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
✓
Workload Identity Federation
Workload Identity Federation allows the AWS application to exchange its AWS IAM role credentials for Google Cloud temporary security tokens, enabling access to Cloud Storage without managing or storing service account keys. This is the correct approach because it directly addresses the requirement to avoid service account keys while leveraging the existing AWS IAM identity.
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.
- ✗
Secret Manager with a service account key
Why it's wrong here
Still uses a key, which is to be avoided.
- ✗
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why it's wrong here
IAP controls access to web applications, not workloads from external clouds.
- ✗
Cloud VPN
Why it's wrong here
VPN provides network connectivity, not identity-based access.
- ✓
Workload Identity Federation
Why this is correct
Allows AWS workloads to impersonate a GCP SA using AWS IAM roles without keys.
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 network-level solutions like Cloud VPN or IAP can solve identity and access management problems, but the key requirement here is identity federation, not network connectivity or application-layer proxy access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Workload Identity Federation uses the Security Token Service (STS) to exchange an AWS IAM role's temporary credentials (via the AWS Security Token Service) for a Google Cloud federated access token. The federation is configured by creating a workload identity pool and provider in Google Cloud, specifying the AWS account ID and IAM role ARN as the trusted identity. Under the hood, the AWS application calls the GCP STS endpoint with the AWS GetCallerIdentity token, which GCP validates against the AWS public key infrastructure to mint a short-lived access token for Cloud Storage.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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?
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: Workload Identity Federation — Workload Identity Federation allows the AWS application to exchange its AWS IAM role credentials for Google Cloud temporary security tokens, enabling access to Cloud Storage without managing or storing service account keys. This is the correct approach because it directly addresses the requirement to avoid service account keys while leveraging the existing AWS IAM identity.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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