- A
Users must use a VPN to be assigned a corporate IP, but some are not connected.
Why wrong: If they are not using corporate IP, they should be denied; this behavior is expected, not a cause of unexpected denial.
- B
The condition uses the attribute 'request.network' instead of 'source.ip'.
Why wrong: Both can be used, but the correct attribute is 'source.ip'; however, the issue is more fundamental.
- C
The bucket ACL is set to deny all access by default.
Why wrong: IAM conditions take precedence over ACLs; the issue is with the IAM condition, not ACL.
- D
The IAM condition evaluates after authentication, and users are already authenticated; the condition is not restricting based on source IP correctly because the condition is on the user's identity, not the request's source IP.
IAM conditions can restrict by source IP, but if misconfigured (e.g., using wrong attribute or not applying to the correct principal), they may not work; the most likely cause is that the condition is not properly written to check the source IP.
Quick Answer
The answer is that the IAM condition is likely misconfigured to evaluate the user's identity attributes rather than the request's source IP, because IAM conditions using the `source.ip` attribute are evaluated after authentication and apply to the request's originating IP, not the user's stored IP. When a condition is attached to a custom role, it filters access based on the network context of the API call itself, but if the condition inadvertently checks the user's identity (e.g., their last login IP), it fails to restrict the actual request source, allowing authenticated users from any IP while blocking legitimate users outside the corporate range. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this tests your understanding that IAM conditions are request-level, not user-level—a common trap is confusing `source.ip` with a user attribute like `gcp.resource_location`. Remember the key distinction: IAM conditions evaluate the *request's* source IP at the moment of access, not the user's stored IP address. Memory tip: "Request, not requester" — the condition checks where the request comes from, not who the user is.
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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 security team needs to enforce that only requests originating from a corporate IP range (203.0.113.0/24) can access a Cloud Storage bucket containing sensitive data. They have created a custom IAM role with storage.objects.get permission and attached a condition that requires the request to have a specific IP address. However, some legitimate users outside the IP range are unable to access the data. 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.
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
The IAM condition evaluates after authentication, and users are already authenticated; the condition is not restricting based on source IP correctly because the condition is on the user's identity, not the request's source IP.
Option D is correct because IAM conditions on a custom role are evaluated after the user is authenticated and authorized by IAM. The condition attribute 'source.ip' is used to restrict access based on the request's originating IP address, but if the condition is incorrectly applied to the user's identity (e.g., using a condition that checks the user's IP at the time of policy evaluation rather than the request's source IP), it may not enforce the intended restriction. In this scenario, the condition is likely misconfigured to evaluate the user's identity attributes rather than the request's source IP, allowing authenticated users from any IP to access the bucket, while legitimate users outside the corporate IP range are blocked because the condition does not correctly filter based on the request's source IP.
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.
- ✗
Users must use a VPN to be assigned a corporate IP, but some are not connected.
Why it's wrong here
If they are not using corporate IP, they should be denied; this behavior is expected, not a cause of unexpected denial.
- ✗
The condition uses the attribute 'request.network' instead of 'source.ip'.
Why it's wrong here
Both can be used, but the correct attribute is 'source.ip'; however, the issue is more fundamental.
- ✗
The bucket ACL is set to deny all access by default.
Why it's wrong here
IAM conditions take precedence over ACLs; the issue is with the IAM condition, not ACL.
- ✓
The IAM condition evaluates after authentication, and users are already authenticated; the condition is not restricting based on source IP correctly because the condition is on the user's identity, not the request's source IP.
Why this is correct
IAM conditions can restrict by source IP, but if misconfigured (e.g., using wrong attribute or not applying to the correct principal), they may not work; the most likely cause is that the condition is not properly written to check the source IP.
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between IAM conditions that evaluate request attributes (like source IP) versus identity attributes, leading candidates to overlook that the condition is applied after authentication and may not restrict the request's source IP correctly if misconfigured.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAM conditions in Google Cloud use the Common Expression Language (CEL) to evaluate attributes like 'source.ip' at request time. The condition is applied to the principal's binding, meaning it filters access after the user is authenticated and authorized by IAM. If the condition uses an incorrect attribute (e.g., 'request.network' instead of 'source.ip'), the condition may not match any requests, effectively allowing all authenticated users or blocking all, depending on the logic. In real-world scenarios, misconfiguring IAM conditions is a common cause of unexpected access denials, especially when using custom roles with conditions that are not thoroughly tested.
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
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: The IAM condition evaluates after authentication, and users are already authenticated; the condition is not restricting based on source IP correctly because the condition is on the user's identity, not the request's source IP. — Option D is correct because IAM conditions on a custom role are evaluated after the user is authenticated and authorized by IAM. The condition attribute 'source.ip' is used to restrict access based on the request's originating IP address, but if the condition is incorrectly applied to the user's identity (e.g., using a condition that checks the user's IP at the time of policy evaluation rather than the request's source IP), it may not enforce the intended restriction. In this scenario, the condition is likely misconfigured to evaluate the user's identity attributes rather than the request's source IP, allowing authenticated users from any IP to access the bucket, while legitimate users outside the corporate IP range are blocked because the condition does not correctly filter based on the request's source IP.
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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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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