- A
extract >> [transform, load]
Why wrong: Incorrect: This makes transform and load run in parallel after extract, so load doesn't wait for transform.
- B
transform >> extract >> load
Why wrong: Incorrect: This would start transform before extract, which violates the requirement.
- C
extract >> transform >> load
Correct: This defines sequential dependencies: extract before transform, transform before load.
- D
extract >> load >> transform
Why wrong: Incorrect: This would start load before transform, which is not allowed.
Question 448 of 1,000
PDE Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of maintaining and automating data workloads. 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 data engineer is building a batch pipeline that runs daily using Cloud Composer. The pipeline has three tasks: extract data from Cloud Storage, transform data using Dataflow, and load the transformed data into BigQuery. The engineer wants to ensure that the Dataflow job only starts after the extraction task completes successfully, and the load task only starts after the Dataflow job finishes. How should the engineer define the task dependencies in the Airflow DAG?
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
✓
extract >> transform >> load
Option C is correct because Airflow uses the bitshift operator (>>) to define task dependencies in a linear sequence. The DAG must ensure that the extract task completes before the transform task starts, and the transform task completes before the load task starts. This is achieved by chaining the tasks in order: extract >> transform >> load, which enforces the required sequential execution.
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.
- ✗
extract >> [transform, load]
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This makes transform and load run in parallel after extract, so load doesn't wait for transform.
- ✗
transform >> extract >> load
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This would start transform before extract, which violates the requirement.
- ✓
extract >> transform >> load
Why this is correct
Correct: This defines sequential dependencies: extract before transform, transform before load.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
extract >> load >> transform
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This would start load before transform, which is not allowed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that multiple tasks can be chained in parallel with a single bitshift operator, leading candidates to choose Option A, which incorrectly allows the load task to start before the Dataflow job completes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Airflow's bitshift operator (>>) creates a dependency by setting the downstream task's upstream_task_ids attribute. When a task fails, all downstream tasks are skipped unless trigger_rule is modified. In a real-world scenario, if the Dataflow job fails, the load task would not run, preventing partial or corrupted data from being loaded into BigQuery, which is critical for data integrity in batch pipelines.
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
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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Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads — This question tests Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: extract >> transform >> load — Option C is correct because Airflow uses the bitshift operator (>>) to define task dependencies in a linear sequence. The DAG must ensure that the extract task completes before the transform task starts, and the transform task completes before the load task starts. This is achieved by chaining the tasks in order: extract >> transform >> load, which enforces the required sequential execution.
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.
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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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