- A
Use a worker machine type with more memory, such as n2-highmem.
High-memory machines provide more memory per core, addressing OOM.
- B
Shard the input into smaller reads using a BigQuery query.
Why wrong: Sharding might help but it changes the pipeline logic and may not fix the memory issue if the transform is memory-intensive.
- C
Increase the disk size per worker.
Why wrong: Disk size is for storage, not memory; OOM is a memory issue.
- D
Enable Dataflow Prime with vertical autoscaling.
Why wrong: Vertical autoscaling adjusts memory within the same machine family, but may not increase memory enough if the default type is already too low.
Question 44 of 1,000
PDE Ingesting and Processing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of ingesting and processing the data. 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.
Your team has a Dataflow pipeline that reads from BigQuery, transforms data, and writes to GCS. The pipeline is failing with 'Out of Memory' errors on the worker nodes. The input data is large but fits within the total cluster memory. Which configuration change is most likely to resolve the issue without increasing costs significantly?
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 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 a worker machine type with more memory, such as n2-highmem.
The default Dataflow worker machine type may have insufficient memory per core for the pipeline's operations. Using a high-memory machine type (e.g., n2-highmem) increases memory per worker without necessarily increasing the number of workers, thus controlling costs.
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.
- ✓
Use a worker machine type with more memory, such as n2-highmem.
Why this is correct
High-memory machines provide more memory per core, addressing OOM.
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.
- ✗
Shard the input into smaller reads using a BigQuery query.
Why it's wrong here
Sharding might help but it changes the pipeline logic and may not fix the memory issue if the transform is memory-intensive.
- ✗
Increase the disk size per worker.
Why it's wrong here
Disk size is for storage, not memory; OOM is a memory issue.
- ✗
Enable Dataflow Prime with vertical autoscaling.
Why it's wrong here
Vertical autoscaling adjusts memory within the same machine family, but may not increase memory enough if the default type is already too low.
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.
Visual reference
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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Ingesting and Processing the Data — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Ingesting and Processing the Data — This question tests Ingesting and Processing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a worker machine type with more memory, such as n2-highmem. — The default Dataflow worker machine type may have insufficient memory per core for the pipeline's operations. Using a high-memory machine type (e.g., n2-highmem) increases memory per worker without necessarily increasing the number of workers, thus controlling costs.
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
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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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