- A
Cloud Storage (GCS)
GCS is the underlying storage for the data lake, storing data in open formats like Parquet/ORC.
- B
Dataproc
Why wrong: Dataproc is a managed Spark/Hadoop service for processing, not for storing or querying directly.
- C
Dataflow
Why wrong: Dataflow is for stream/batch processing, not for direct querying.
- D
Cloud SQL
Why wrong: Cloud SQL is a relational database for OLTP, not a data lake.
- E
BigLake
BigLake provides a unified interface with fine-grained governance on top of GCS data, enabling external tables in BigQuery.
Question 950 of 1,000
PDE Storing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of storing the data. 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 wants to implement a data lake on Google Cloud. They need to store raw, structured data in open formats and allow querying directly from BigQuery without loading. Which THREE services or features should they use? (Choose 3)
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
✓
Cloud Storage (GCS)
Cloud Storage (GCS) is the correct choice because it serves as the underlying storage layer for a data lake on Google Cloud, allowing raw structured data to be stored in open formats such as Parquet, Avro, or ORC. BigQuery can directly query data stored in GCS using external tables, eliminating the need to load data into BigQuery storage. This decouples compute from storage, enabling cost-effective and scalable data lake architectures.
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.
- ✓
Cloud Storage (GCS)
Why this is correct
GCS is the underlying storage for the data lake, storing data in open formats like Parquet/ORC.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Dataproc
Why it's wrong here
Dataproc is a managed Spark/Hadoop service for processing, not for storing or querying directly.
- ✗
Dataflow
Why it's wrong here
Dataflow is for stream/batch processing, not for direct querying.
- ✗
Cloud SQL
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL is a relational database for OLTP, not a data lake.
- ✓
BigLake
Why this is correct
BigLake provides a unified interface with fine-grained governance on top of GCS data, enabling external tables in BigQuery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that Dataproc or Dataflow are required for querying data in a data lake, when in fact BigQuery external tables and BigLake provide direct querying without loading, and the key is to recognize that storage (GCS) and the query engine (BigLake) are the correct services.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BigLake is a unified lakehouse engine that allows BigQuery to enforce fine-grained access controls (e.g., row-level and column-level security) on data stored in GCS, even when using open formats. Under the hood, BigLake uses a metastore (like Dataproc Metastore or Hive Metastore) to manage table schemas and partitions, enabling ACID transactions and time-travel queries on external data. In a real-world scenario, a company can store IoT sensor data as Parquet files in GCS and use BigLake to query it with BigQuery while applying row-level security per tenant.
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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Storing the Data — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Storing the Data — This question tests Storing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Storage (GCS) — Cloud Storage (GCS) is the correct choice because it serves as the underlying storage layer for a data lake on Google Cloud, allowing raw structured data to be stored in open formats such as Parquet, Avro, or ORC. BigQuery can directly query data stored in GCS using external tables, eliminating the need to load data into BigQuery storage. This decouples compute from storage, enabling cost-effective and scalable data lake architectures.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
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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