- A
Grant authorized view access to limit data visibility
Why wrong: Authorized views control data access but do not directly control cost; they may even increase cost if queries scan more data.
- B
Set a custom quota for concurrent queries
Custom quotas limit the number of concurrent queries or bytes processed, preventing excessive resource usage.
- C
Partition and cluster tables to reduce bytes processed
Partitioning and clustering allow queries to scan fewer bytes, directly reducing on-demand costs.
- D
Create materialized views for all reporting queries
Why wrong: Materialized views can improve performance and reduce cost, but creating them for all queries is unnecessary and may increase storage costs.
- E
Use BigQuery reservations (flex slots) for predictable workloads
Reservations provide dedicated slots, avoiding on-demand pricing spikes and enabling cost control.
PDE Designing Data Processing Systems Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of designing data processing systems. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 is evaluating BigQuery for a data warehouse migration. They have a mix of reporting queries and ad-hoc analytical queries. They want to control query costs and prevent runaway queries. Which THREE strategies should they implement?
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
Set a custom quota for concurrent queries
Custom quotas cap query usage. Reservation models (flex slots) provide dedicated resources and predictable pricing. Partitioning and clustering reduce data scanned, lowering cost. Authorized views control access but not cost. Materialized views can reduce cost but are not a cost control mechanism per se.
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.
- ✗
Grant authorized view access to limit data visibility
Why it's wrong here
Authorized views control data access but do not directly control cost; they may even increase cost if queries scan more data.
- ✓
Set a custom quota for concurrent queries
Why this is correct
Custom quotas limit the number of concurrent queries or bytes processed, preventing excessive resource usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Partition and cluster tables to reduce bytes processed
Why this is correct
Partitioning and clustering allow queries to scan fewer bytes, directly reducing on-demand costs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create materialized views for all reporting queries
Why it's wrong here
Materialized views can improve performance and reduce cost, but creating them for all queries is unnecessary and may increase storage costs.
- ✓
Use BigQuery reservations (flex slots) for predictable workloads
Why this is correct
Reservations provide dedicated slots, avoiding on-demand pricing spikes and enabling cost control.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 PDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Designing Data Processing Systems — This question tests Designing Data Processing Systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set a custom quota for concurrent queries — Custom quotas cap query usage. Reservation models (flex slots) provide dedicated resources and predictable pricing. Partitioning and clustering reduce data scanned, lowering cost. Authorized views control access but not cost. Materialized views can reduce cost but are not a cost control mechanism per se.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Identify which PDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PDE 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 PDE exam.
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