The answer is compute.machineTypes.get. This permission is required because when creating a VM instance, the Compute Engine API first performs a read operation to verify that the specified machine type exists and is available in the target zone; without this get permission, the API cannot confirm the machine type’s definition, causing the creation to fail even if the user holds broader compute.instance.create rights. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the granular permission chain—many candidates mistakenly focus on compute.instances.create or compute.disks.create, overlooking that read-level checks precede write operations. A common trap is assuming that a role like Compute Admin includes all necessary sub-permissions, but custom roles or overly restrictive IAM policies often omit this specific get permission. Memory tip: think “GET before CREATE”—you must be able to view a resource’s metadata before you can provision it.
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. 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.
Exhibit
Consider the following custom role definition:
roles:
- name: myCustomRole
title: My Custom Role
includedPermissions:
- compute.instances.create
- compute.instances.delete
- compute.instances.get
- compute.disks.create
- compute.disks.get
- compute.subnetworks.use
- compute.images.useReadOnly
A user with this role tries to create a VM instance with a specific machine type and boot disk image. The creation fails due to missing permissions. Which permission is most likely missing?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
compute.machineTypes.get
When creating a VM instance, the user must have permission to view the machine type definition to verify it exists and is available in the specified zone. The `compute.machineTypes.get` permission is required for this check, and without it, the creation fails even if other permissions are present. This is a prerequisite permission that the Compute Engine API checks before proceeding with instance provisioning.
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.
✗
compute.networks.use
Why it's wrong here
The role includes compute.subnetworks.use, which is typically sufficient.
✗
compute.images.get
Why it's wrong here
The role includes compute.images.useReadOnly, which covers image usage.
✓
compute.machineTypes.get
Why this is correct
Required to read machine type details for instance creation.
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.
✗
compute.instances.list
Why it's wrong here
List permissions are not required for creating a single instance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that creating a VM only requires broad permissions like `compute.instances.create`, but the trap here is that Google Cloud performs granular, sequential permission checks for each resource referenced in the creation request, and the machine type check is the first one to fail.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Compute Engine API performs a series of authorization checks in a specific order: first validating the machine type, then the image, then network resources. The `machineTypes.get` permission maps to the `compute.machineTypes.get` IAM role, which is often included in roles like `roles/compute.viewer` but not in more restrictive custom roles. In a real-world scenario, a user might have `roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1` which includes `compute.instances.create` but lacks `compute.machineTypes.get` if the role was custom-scoped, leading to this exact failure.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: compute.machineTypes.get — When creating a VM instance, the user must have permission to view the machine type definition to verify it exists and is available in the specified zone. The `compute.machineTypes.get` permission is required for this check, and without it, the creation fails even if other permissions are present. This is a prerequisite permission that the Compute Engine API checks before proceeding with instance provisioning.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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