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.
An organization has three projects: dev, staging, prod. They use Cloud Build to deploy code. The Cloud Build service account in the dev project needs to deploy to GKE in the prod project. To allow cross-project deployment, what should the Cloud Build service account be granted in the prod project?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
roles/container.developer on the prod project.
The Cloud Build service account in the dev project needs to deploy workloads to a GKE cluster in the prod project. The role `roles/container.developer` on the prod project grants the necessary permissions to create, update, and delete pods, deployments, and services within the cluster, which is required for deployment. This role also includes `container.clusters.get` and `container.clusters.update` to interact with the cluster, making it the correct choice for cross-project GKE deployment.
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.
✗
roles/container.clusterViewer on the prod cluster.
Why it's wrong here
Read-only access to the cluster, cannot deploy.
✓
roles/container.developer on the prod project.
Why this is correct
Grants permissions to deploy to GKE clusters in the prod project.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
roles/storage.objectViewer on the prod bucket.
Why it's wrong here
This is for accessing storage objects, not for GKE deployment.
✗
roles/iam.serviceAccountUser on the GKE node service account in prod.
Why it's wrong here
This allows impersonation of the node SA but is not sufficient to deploy to GKE.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between read-only, developer, and admin roles in GKE, and the trap here is that candidates confuse `container.clusterViewer` (read-only) with the ability to deploy, or think that granting access to a storage bucket or node service account is sufficient for cross-project GKE deployment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `roles/container.developer` includes permissions like `container.pods.create`, `container.deployments.create`, and `container.services.update`, which are essential for `kubectl apply` or Cloud Build’s GKE deployer to push workloads. A subtle behavior is that this role does not include `container.clusters.create` or `container.clusters.delete`, so the Cloud Build service account cannot create or destroy the cluster itself, only deploy to it. In a real-world scenario, if the prod cluster uses Workload Identity, the Cloud Build service account might also need `roles/iam.workloadIdentityUser` on the Kubernetes service account, but the question specifically asks for the role in the prod project, and `container.developer` is the standard role for deployment operations.
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.
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: roles/container.developer on the prod project. — The Cloud Build service account in the dev project needs to deploy workloads to a GKE cluster in the prod project. The role `roles/container.developer` on the prod project grants the necessary permissions to create, update, and delete pods, deployments, and services within the cluster, which is required for deployment. This role also includes `container.clusters.get` and `container.clusters.update` to interact with the cluster, making it the correct choice for cross-project GKE deployment.
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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Question Discussion
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