- A
Cloud Scheduler for the schedule, and Cloud Pub/Sub with Push subscription to Vertex AI for event-driven.
Why wrong: Cloud Pub/Sub cannot directly trigger Vertex AI pipelines; it requires a subscriber like Cloud Functions.
- B
Cloud Functions for both schedule and event-driven, using cron trigger.
Why wrong: Cloud Functions supports cron via Cloud Scheduler, but using Cloud Functions for both is unnecessary; Cloud Scheduler is simpler for schedule.
- C
Cloud Scheduler for the schedule, and Cloud Functions triggered by Cloud Storage events to call the Vertex AI API for event-driven.
Correct: Cloud Scheduler for cron schedule, Cloud Functions for event-driven from Cloud Storage.
- D
Vertex AI Pipelines built-in scheduler for schedule, and Cloud Pub/Sub for event-driven.
Why wrong: Vertex AI Pipelines does not have a built-in scheduler; it relies on Cloud Scheduler. Also Pub/Sub alone cannot trigger pipelines.
PMLE Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines Practice Question
This PMLE practice question tests your understanding of automating and orchestrating ml pipelines. 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 machine learning team uses Vertex AI Pipelines to orchestrate their training pipeline. They want to trigger the pipeline automatically in response to new data arriving in a Cloud Storage bucket, and also support a scheduled run every day at 6 AM. Which combination of services should they use to achieve both event-driven and schedule-based triggers?
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
Cloud Scheduler for the schedule, and Cloud Functions triggered by Cloud Storage events to call the Vertex AI API for event-driven.
Option C is correct because Cloud Scheduler can trigger the pipeline at 6 AM daily via a cron job, while Cloud Functions, triggered by Cloud Storage events (e.g., object finalize), can call the Vertex AI API to start the pipeline when new data arrives. This combination provides both schedule-based and event-driven triggers without requiring custom infrastructure.
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.
- ✗
Cloud Scheduler for the schedule, and Cloud Pub/Sub with Push subscription to Vertex AI for event-driven.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Pub/Sub cannot directly trigger Vertex AI pipelines; it requires a subscriber like Cloud Functions.
- ✗
Cloud Functions for both schedule and event-driven, using cron trigger.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Functions supports cron via Cloud Scheduler, but using Cloud Functions for both is unnecessary; Cloud Scheduler is simpler for schedule.
- ✓
Cloud Scheduler for the schedule, and Cloud Functions triggered by Cloud Storage events to call the Vertex AI API for event-driven.
Why this is correct
Correct: Cloud Scheduler for cron schedule, Cloud Functions for event-driven from Cloud Storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Vertex AI Pipelines built-in scheduler for schedule, and Cloud Pub/Sub for event-driven.
Why it's wrong here
Vertex AI Pipelines does not have a built-in scheduler; it relies on Cloud Scheduler. Also Pub/Sub alone cannot trigger pipelines.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume Vertex AI Pipelines has a built-in scheduler or that Pub/Sub can directly trigger pipelines, but in reality, Cloud Functions (or Cloud Run) is needed as an intermediary to translate events into API calls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud Functions uses a Cloud Storage trigger (e.g., google.storage.object.finalize) that listens for new objects in the bucket and invokes the function with event metadata. The function then uses the Vertex AI client library to call the pipelineJobs.create method, passing the pipeline specification and parameters. Cloud Scheduler uses HTTP or Pub/Sub targets to invoke the same Cloud Function or directly call the Vertex AI API, ensuring idempotency and handling retries via exponential backoff.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
- →
Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PMLE questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PMLE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PMLE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines.
Collaborating Within and Across Teams to Manage Data and Models practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Collaborating Within and Across Teams to Manage Data and Models.
Serving and Scaling Models practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Serving and Scaling Models.
Monitoring ML Solutions practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Monitoring ML Solutions.
Architecting Low-Code ML Solutions practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Architecting Low-Code ML Solutions.
Scaling Prototypes into ML Models practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Scaling Prototypes into ML Models.
Collaborating to manage data and models practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Collaborating to manage data and models.
Solving business challenges with ML practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to Solving business challenges with ML.
PMLE fundamentals practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to PMLE fundamentals.
PMLE scenario practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to PMLE scenario.
PMLE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PMLE questions linked to PMLE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PMLE practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMLE question test?
Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines — This question tests Automating and Orchestrating ML Pipelines — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Scheduler for the schedule, and Cloud Functions triggered by Cloud Storage events to call the Vertex AI API for event-driven. — Option C is correct because Cloud Scheduler can trigger the pipeline at 6 AM daily via a cron job, while Cloud Functions, triggered by Cloud Storage events (e.g., object finalize), can call the Vertex AI API to start the pipeline when new data arrives. This combination provides both schedule-based and event-driven triggers without requiring custom infrastructure.
What should I do if I get this PMLE 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
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PMLE 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 PMLE 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.