Quick Answer
The answer is that the task exceeded its execution timeout, which is the most likely cause when a Cloud Composer task receives a SIGTERM error. In Airflow, each task has a configurable execution timeout, and when that time limit is reached, the system sends a SIGTERM signal to forcibly terminate the process, ensuring pipelines don’t hang indefinitely. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this concept tests your understanding of how Cloud Composer manages resource limits and task lifecycle, often appearing in scenarios where a DAG fails without an explicit Python exception. A common trap is confusing SIGTERM with SIGKILL—remember that SIGTERM is a graceful termination request due to timeout, while SIGKILL is an immediate kill from resource exhaustion or manual intervention. Memory tip: “Timeout Triggers Termination” (TTT) to link SIGTERM with execution timeout.
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of managing operations in a cloud solution environment. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 company is using Cloud Composer (Airflow) to orchestrate data pipelines. A DAG is failing with a 'Task received SIGTERM' error. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The worker node was preempted
Why wrong: Preemption sends a different shutdown signal.
The task exceeded its execution timeout
Airflow sends SIGTERM to tasks that exceed their execution timeout.
The task ran out of memory
Why wrong: Out of memory typically results in a kill signal (SIGKILL) or OOM error, not SIGTERM.
The Airflow scheduler crashed
Why wrong: A scheduler crash would affect all tasks, not just one.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The task exceeded its execution timeout
SIGTERM is sent when a task exceeds its execution timeout. Other causes produce different signals.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The worker node was preempted
Why it's wrong here
Preemption sends a different shutdown signal.
The task exceeded its execution timeout
Why this is correct
Airflow sends SIGTERM to tasks that exceed their execution timeout.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The task ran out of memory
Why it's wrong here
Out of memory typically results in a kill signal (SIGKILL) or OOM error, not SIGTERM.
The Airflow scheduler crashed
Why it's wrong here
A scheduler crash would affect all tasks, not just one.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which PCSE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Managing operations in a cloud solution environment — This question tests Managing operations in a cloud solution environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The task exceeded its execution timeout — SIGTERM is sent when a task exceeds its execution timeout. Other causes produce different signals.
Identify which PCSE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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