- A
Set a retention policy on the bucket for 7 years and enable Object Versioning.
Why wrong: Object Versioning alone does not prevent deletion; it keeps old versions. Retention policy prevents deletion but does not delete automatically.
- B
Use Object Lock with WORM mode and set a retention period of 7 years. After the period, objects are automatically deleted.
Why wrong: Object Lock is for individual objects, not bucket-wide. Also, it does not automatically delete objects after retention expires.
- C
Set a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years and enable Bucket Lock.
Why wrong: The order is wrong: lifecycle rule cannot delete objects while retention policy is active. Retention policy must be released first.
- D
Use Bucket Lock with a retention policy of 7 years and configure a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years.
Bucket Lock retains objects for 7 years; lifecycle rule deletes them after that period.
PDE Storing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of storing the data. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
You are designing a Cloud Storage bucket to hold sensitive financial documents that must not be deleted or overwritten for 7 years. After the retention period, the documents can be deleted automatically. Which configuration should you use?
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
Use Bucket Lock with a retention policy of 7 years and configure a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years.
Option D is correct because Bucket Lock (also known as Object Lock) provides a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) retention policy that prevents objects from being deleted or overwritten for a specified period. By setting a retention policy of 7 years, you enforce the required compliance hold. Then, a lifecycle rule configured to delete objects after 7 years ensures automatic removal once the retention period expires. This combination meets both the retention and automatic deletion requirements.
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.
- ✗
Set a retention policy on the bucket for 7 years and enable Object Versioning.
Why it's wrong here
Object Versioning alone does not prevent deletion; it keeps old versions. Retention policy prevents deletion but does not delete automatically.
- ✗
Use Object Lock with WORM mode and set a retention period of 7 years. After the period, objects are automatically deleted.
Why it's wrong here
Object Lock is for individual objects, not bucket-wide. Also, it does not automatically delete objects after retention expires.
- ✗
Set a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years and enable Bucket Lock.
Why it's wrong here
The order is wrong: lifecycle rule cannot delete objects while retention policy is active. Retention policy must be released first.
- ✓
Use Bucket Lock with a retention policy of 7 years and configure a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years.
Why this is correct
Bucket Lock retains objects for 7 years; lifecycle rule deletes them after that period.
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 a retention policy alone (without Object Lock) or a lifecycle rule alone can enforce both retention and automatic deletion, when in fact you need both Bucket Lock for the WORM hold and a lifecycle rule for the scheduled deletion.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Bucket Lock implements a governance or compliance mode that locks objects with a retention date; objects cannot be deleted or overwritten until that date passes, even by the bucket owner. The lifecycle rule uses the Age condition to trigger deletion after the retention period, but it must be configured with the correct number of days (e.g., 2557 days for 7 years) and the rule must be enabled. Under the hood, the retention policy is stored as object metadata, and the lifecycle rule checks the object's creation time against the rule's age condition.
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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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: Use Bucket Lock with a retention policy of 7 years and configure a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 7 years. — Option D is correct because Bucket Lock (also known as Object Lock) provides a WORM (Write Once, Read Many) retention policy that prevents objects from being deleted or overwritten for a specified period. By setting a retention policy of 7 years, you enforce the required compliance hold. Then, a lifecycle rule configured to delete objects after 7 years ensures automatic removal once the retention period expires. This combination meets both the retention and automatic deletion requirements.
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
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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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