- A
Use preemptible instances for worker nodes.
Preemptible instances cost ~60-80% less and are suitable for fault-tolerant batch jobs.
- B
Use custom machine types with more memory.
Why wrong: Custom machine types may cost more; they don't inherently reduce costs.
- C
Use SSDs instead of HDDs for persistent disks.
Why wrong: SSDs are faster but more expensive, not a cost-reduction measure.
- D
Use committed use discounts for 1-year or 3-year terms.
Why wrong: Committed use discounts reduce cost but require upfront commitment; preemptible instances are cheaper for fault-tolerant jobs without commitment.
Question 770 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.
Your team uses Cloud Dataproc for Spark ML training jobs. You want to reduce costs for non-critical, fault-tolerant training jobs. Which Dataproc feature should you use for worker nodes?
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 preemptible instances for worker nodes.
Preemptible instances are short-lived, lower-cost VMs that Cloud Dataproc can use for worker nodes. Because the training jobs are non-critical and fault-tolerant (e.g., they can handle node failures via Spark's built-in resilience), preemptible instances significantly reduce costs while still completing the workload. This directly addresses the requirement to reduce costs for fault-tolerant jobs.
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 preemptible instances for worker nodes.
Why this is correct
Preemptible instances cost ~60-80% less and are suitable for fault-tolerant batch jobs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use custom machine types with more memory.
Why it's wrong here
Custom machine types may cost more; they don't inherently reduce costs.
- ✗
Use SSDs instead of HDDs for persistent disks.
Why it's wrong here
SSDs are faster but more expensive, not a cost-reduction measure.
- ✗
Use committed use discounts for 1-year or 3-year terms.
Why it's wrong here
Committed use discounts reduce cost but require upfront commitment; preemptible instances are cheaper for fault-tolerant jobs without commitment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between cost-saving features that require commitment (committed use discounts) versus those that exploit workload characteristics (preemptible instances), and candidates mistakenly choose committed use discounts because they think 'discount' always means lower cost, ignoring the fault-tolerance requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Preemptible instances in Google Cloud can be terminated by Compute Engine at any time (within 24 hours) and offer up to 80% cost savings compared to standard instances. Dataproc automatically handles preemption by marking the node as lost and redistributing Spark executors to remaining workers, so the job continues as long as the cluster has enough capacity. A real-world scenario is a nightly hyperparameter tuning job that can tolerate occasional node loss; using preemptible workers can cut the compute bill by over half.
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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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: Use preemptible instances for worker nodes. — Preemptible instances are short-lived, lower-cost VMs that Cloud Dataproc can use for worker nodes. Because the training jobs are non-critical and fault-tolerant (e.g., they can handle node failures via Spark's built-in resilience), preemptible instances significantly reduce costs while still completing the workload. This directly addresses the requirement to reduce costs for fault-tolerant jobs.
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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