← PCSE·Google Cloud

Question 143 of 500

Configuring access within a cloud solution environment →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is that the organization policy is set to dry-run mode, which logs violations but does not deny the operation. In Google Cloud, the `gcp.resourceLocations` constraint can be configured in dry-run mode, meaning the policy is active and logs non-compliant resource creation attempts, but it does not enforce a deny action. This explains why the Cloud SQL administrator’s service account, despite having `roles/cloudsql.admin` at the organization level, could successfully create an instance in `europe-west1`—the policy recorded the violation but allowed the creation to proceed. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of policy enforcement modes, a common trap where candidates assume “active” always means “denying.” Remember that dry-run mode is like a security camera that records but does not lock the door; for actual denial, the policy must be set to enforce mode. A useful memory tip: “Dry-run logs, enforce blocks.”

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. 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 a shared VPC with multiple service projects. A security administrator created an organization policy with the constraint 'gcp.resourceLocations' to restrict Cloud SQL instance creation to only the 'us-central1' region. The policy is applied at the organization level. A Cloud SQL administrator is using a service account with the predefined role 'roles/cloudsql.admin' (also granted at the organization level) to create instances. Despite the organization policy, the service account successfully creates a Cloud SQL instance in the 'europe-west1' region. The administrator verifies that the organization policy is active and the constraint is enforced. What is the most likely reason the policy is not preventing the creation?

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.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
The organization policy is set to 'dry-run' mode, so it logs violations but does not deny the operation.
Correct: In dry-run mode, the policy is not enforced, only audited.
B
The organization policy is applied at the organization level, but the service account's permissions are also at the organization level, causing an override.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Organization policies are independent of IAM permissions; they don't override each other.
C
The service account has the 'Organization Policy Administrator' role, which allows it to bypass constraints.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Even with that role, the service account would need to modify the policy; it doesn't bypass enforcement.
D
The gcp.resourceLocations constraint does not apply to Cloud SQL instances.
Why wrong: Incorrect: The constraint applies to Cloud SQL as documented.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 organization policy is set to 'dry-run' mode, so it logs violations but does not deny the operation.

Option A is correct because the organization policy constraint 'gcp.resourceLocations' can be set to 'dry-run' mode, which logs violations but does not deny the operation. In this scenario, the policy is active and enforced, but if it is in dry-run mode, it will not block the creation of Cloud SQL instances in non-compliant regions. The service account's successful creation in 'europe-west1' indicates that the policy is not actively denying the request, which aligns with dry-run behavior.

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.

✓
The organization policy is set to 'dry-run' mode, so it logs violations but does not deny the operation.
Why this is correct
Correct: In dry-run mode, the policy is not enforced, only audited.
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 organization policy is applied at the organization level, but the service account's permissions are also at the organization level, causing an override.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Organization policies are independent of IAM permissions; they don't override each other.
✗
The service account has the 'Organization Policy Administrator' role, which allows it to bypass constraints.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Even with that role, the service account would need to modify the policy; it doesn't bypass enforcement.
✗
The gcp.resourceLocations constraint does not apply to Cloud SQL instances.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: The constraint applies to Cloud SQL as documented.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google Cloud often tests the distinction between policy enforcement modes (dry-run vs. live) and the misconception that IAM roles can override organization policy constraints, leading candidates to incorrectly attribute the bypass to permission levels rather than policy configuration.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The 'gcp.resourceLocations' constraint is a list constraint that can be set to 'dry-run' mode using the 'dryRunSpec' field in the organization policy API. In dry-run mode, the policy is evaluated and violations are logged in Cloud Audit Logs, but the actual API call is not denied. This is useful for testing policy impact before enforcing it. The constraint applies to Cloud SQL instances because Cloud SQL is listed as a supported service in the Google Cloud documentation for resource location restrictions.

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.

Related PCSE practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Configuring network security practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to Configuring network security.

Configuring access within a cloud solution environment practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to Configuring access within a cloud solution environment.

Ensuring data protection practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to Ensuring data protection.

Managing operations in a cloud solution environment practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to Managing operations in a cloud solution environment.

Supporting compliance requirements practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to Supporting compliance requirements.

PCSE fundamentals practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to PCSE fundamentals.

PCSE scenario practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to PCSE scenario.

PCSE troubleshooting practice questions

Practise PCSE questions linked to PCSE troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free PCSE practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

PCSE practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

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 organization policy is set to 'dry-run' mode, so it logs violations but does not deny the operation. — Option A is correct because the organization policy constraint 'gcp.resourceLocations' can be set to 'dry-run' mode, which logs violations but does not deny the operation. In this scenario, the policy is active and enforced, but if it is in dry-run mode, it will not block the creation of Cloud SQL instances in non-compliant regions. The service account's successful creation in 'europe-west1' indicates that the policy is not actively denying the request, which aligns with dry-run behavior.

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.

About these practice questions

Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

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.