Quick Answer
The answer is roles/storage.legacyBucketReader. This IAM role is the correct choice because it grants the specific permissions to list bucket contents without allowing download—it includes storage.buckets.get and storage.objects.list for enumeration, but crucially omits storage.objects.get, which is required to read or download object data. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of least privilege and the granularity of Cloud Storage IAM roles, often appearing as a trap where test-takers mistakenly choose roles/storage.objectViewer, which includes the download permission. A common memory tip is to think of “legacyBucketReader” as “list-only reader”—it lets you see the menu (object names) but not eat the meal (object data).
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 company uses Cloud Storage buckets to store sensitive data. They want to allow a third-party auditor to list bucket contents but not download the objects. Which IAM role should be assigned?
roles/storage.legacyBucketReader
Allows listing bucket contents without downloading objects.
roles/storage.objectAdmin
Why wrong: Grants full object management, including downloading.
roles/storage.objectViewer
Why wrong: Includes storage.objects.get, which allows downloading objects.
roles/storage.objectCreator
Why wrong: Only allows creating objects, not listing.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
roles/storage.legacyBucketReader
The correct answer is A because roles/storage.legacyBucketReader grants permission to list the contents of a bucket (via the storage.buckets.get and storage.objects.list permissions) without allowing object downloads, which require storage.objects.get. This role is specifically designed for scenarios where a user needs to enumerate objects but not read their data, aligning with the auditor's requirement.
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.
roles/storage.legacyBucketReader
Why this is correct
Allows listing bucket contents without downloading objects.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
roles/storage.objectAdmin
Why it's wrong here
Grants full object management, including downloading.
roles/storage.objectViewer
Why it's wrong here
Includes storage.objects.get, which allows downloading objects.
roles/storage.objectCreator
Why it's wrong here
Only allows creating objects, not listing.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'listing' with 'viewing' and choose roles/storage.objectViewer, not realizing that objectViewer includes the download permission (storage.objects.get), which is broader than the required list-only access.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Cloud Storage IAM permissions are granular: storage.objects.list is required for listing, while storage.objects.get is required for downloading. The legacyBucketReader role is a legacy role that bundles bucket-level read access (including listing) without object-level read access, making it ideal for auditors. In a real-world scenario, if an auditor needs to verify object existence (e.g., for compliance checks) but not access sensitive data, this role prevents data exfiltration while still allowing inventory enumeration.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
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..
The correct answer is: roles/storage.legacyBucketReader — The correct answer is A because roles/storage.legacyBucketReader grants permission to list the contents of a bucket (via the storage.buckets.get and storage.objects.list permissions) without allowing object downloads, which require storage.objects.get. This role is specifically designed for scenarios where a user needs to enumerate objects but not read their data, aligning with the auditor's requirement.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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