- A
Store logs in the _Required log bucket with a custom retention of 7 years.
Why wrong: The _Required log bucket has a maximum retention of 400 days and cannot be extended to 7 years.
- B
Disable logging for non-critical resources to reduce log volume and retain only essential logs.
Why wrong: Disabling logs would violate compliance requirements for audit trails.
- C
Use a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and nearline storage class.
Log sinks can export to Cloud Storage, and a retention policy ensures logs are kept for 7 years. Nearline storage class reduces cost.
- D
Use a log sink to export logs to BigQuery and set the table expiration to 7 years.
Why wrong: BigQuery is not cost-optimized for long-term archival; Cloud Storage is cheaper.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and the nearline storage class. This strategy is correct because Cloud Logging’s default retention is far shorter than 7 years, so you must export logs via a sink to a Cloud Storage bucket, where you can set a retention policy via Object Lifecycle Management to prevent deletion before the compliance window expires. Choosing the nearline storage class is key for cost-effective audit log retention 7 years Google Cloud, as it offers lower storage costs than standard for data accessed less than once a quarter, perfectly matching the infrequent retrieval pattern of archived audit logs. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of log routing and storage class trade-offs; a common trap is selecting Coldline or Archive to save even more, but those incur higher retrieval and minimum storage costs that can backfire if logs are ever needed for an audit. Remember the memory tip: “Sink it, lock it, nearline it” — sink the logs, lock the retention policy, and choose nearline for the cheapest compliant storage.
PCSE Supporting compliance requirements Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. 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 needs to retain audit logs for 7 years to meet regulatory compliance. They are using Cloud Logging. Which log storage strategy should they use to minimize costs while meeting the requirement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Use a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and nearline storage class.
Option C is correct because exporting logs to Cloud Storage via a log sink allows you to set a bucket retention policy of 7 years, meeting compliance requirements. Using the nearline storage class minimizes costs for logs that are accessed infrequently, as it offers lower storage costs than standard storage while still providing the necessary durability and retention capabilities.
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.
- ✗
Store logs in the _Required log bucket with a custom retention of 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
The _Required log bucket has a maximum retention of 400 days and cannot be extended to 7 years.
- ✗
Disable logging for non-critical resources to reduce log volume and retain only essential logs.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling logs would violate compliance requirements for audit trails.
- ✓
Use a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and nearline storage class.
Why this is correct
Log sinks can export to Cloud Storage, and a retention policy ensures logs are kept for 7 years. Nearline storage class reduces cost.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a log sink to export logs to BigQuery and set the table expiration to 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery is not cost-optimized for long-term archival; Cloud Storage is cheaper.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that the _Required log bucket can be customized for long-term retention, when in fact it is a fixed, system-managed bucket with a default retention period that cannot be extended.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Logging log sinks use a filter to route log entries to supported destinations like Cloud Storage, BigQuery, or Pub/Sub. When exporting to Cloud Storage, you can set a retention policy on the bucket using Object Lifecycle Management, which automatically deletes objects after a specified number of days (e.g., 2555 days for 7 years). Nearline storage class is ideal for data accessed less than once a quarter, offering a lower storage price but with a 30-day minimum storage duration and retrieval costs, making it a cost-effective choice for audit logs that are rarely accessed after the initial compliance period.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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?
Supporting compliance requirements — This question tests Supporting compliance requirements — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and nearline storage class. — Option C is correct because exporting logs to Cloud Storage via a log sink allows you to set a bucket retention policy of 7 years, meeting compliance requirements. Using the nearline storage class minimizes costs for logs that are accessed infrequently, as it offers lower storage costs than standard storage while still providing the necessary durability and retention capabilities.
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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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