The answer is that the Cloud Build service account lacks the Cloud Run Admin role. This is correct because Cloud Build uses a default or custom service account to execute deployment steps, and deploying to Cloud Run requires the roles/run.admin permission to create or update services; a 'Permission denied' error directly signals that this role is missing. On the Google Professional Data Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of IAM role delegation between services—a common trap is assuming the user’s own permissions apply, when in fact Cloud Build acts under its own service account identity. Remember the memory tip: "Build deploys, Run needs Admin"—if Cloud Build can't deploy, check that its service account has the Cloud Run Admin role, not just Cloud Run Invoker or Viewer.
PDE Ensuring solution quality Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of ensuring solution quality. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A team uses this Cloud Build configuration to deploy a service to Cloud Run. The deployment step fails with a 'Permission denied' error. 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Cloud Build service account does not have the Cloud Run Admin role.
Cloud Build uses its default service account (or custom service account) which needs the Cloud Run Admin role (roles/run.admin) to deploy services. The error indicates the service account lacks permission to create or update the Cloud Run service.
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 Dockerfile is missing from the repository.
Why it's wrong here
A missing Dockerfile would cause build failure, not deploy failure.
✗
The Docker image tag is missing or malformed.
Why it's wrong here
Image tag issues would cause a different error (e.g., 'invalid image name'), not permission denial.
✗
The region 'us-central1' is incorrect for Cloud Run.
Why it's wrong here
us-central1 is a valid region for Cloud Run; the error message would not be 'Permission denied' for region issues.
✓
The Cloud Build service account does not have the Cloud Run Admin role.
Why this is correct
The deploy step requires IAM permissions to create/update Cloud Run services; typically the Cloud Build service account needs roles/run.admin.
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
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 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 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.
Ensuring solution quality — This question tests Ensuring solution quality — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The Cloud Build service account does not have the Cloud Run Admin role. — Cloud Build uses its default service account (or custom service account) which needs the Cloud Run Admin role (roles/run.admin) to deploy services. The error indicates the service account lacks permission to create or update the Cloud Run service.
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.
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 →
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.
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.
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.
Sign in to join the discussion.