The answer is to configure the Cloud Build trigger with included file globs for directory filtering. This is correct because Cloud Build triggers allow you to specify glob patterns in the "included file globs" field, which restricts the trigger to fire only when commits modify files matching those patterns—such as `pipelines/**` or `src/**`—thereby avoiding unnecessary two-hour Vertex AI Pipeline runs for unrelated changes like documentation updates. On the Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer exam, this tests your understanding of event-driven pipeline orchestration and cost optimization, often appearing as a scenario where you must prevent long-running ML pipelines from triggering on irrelevant commits. A common trap is confusing included file globs with ignored file globs; remember that included globs act as a whitelist, while ignored globs act as a blacklist. Memory tip: "Include to incite, ignore to avoid"—use included globs to incite the trigger only for the directories you care about.
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.
An ML engineer is using Cloud Build to trigger a Vertex AI Pipeline on every commit to a repository. The pipeline takes 2 hours. The engineer wants to only run the pipeline when changes are made to specific directories. How can this be achieved?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure Cloud Build trigger with included file globs
Cloud Build triggers support 'included file globs' and 'ignored file globs' to filter which file changes should invoke the trigger. By specifying glob patterns for the directories of interest, the trigger will only fire when commits modify files matching those patterns, avoiding unnecessary pipeline runs for unrelated changes.
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 Cloud Composer to poll the repository periodically
Why it's wrong here
Not event-driven.
✓
Configure Cloud Build trigger with included file globs
Why this is correct
Native feature of Cloud Build triggers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a Cloud Function to evaluate changes and invoke the pipeline
Why it's wrong here
Additional complexity.
✗
Modify the pipeline to ignore unrelated changes
Why it's wrong here
Pipeline would still be triggered.
✗
Add a conditional step in the pipeline to abort if no relevant changes
Why it's wrong here
Wastes resources on starting pipeline.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think a pipeline-level conditional check (Option E) is sufficient, but they overlook that Cloud Build triggers can filter at the trigger level, avoiding any pipeline startup cost for irrelevant changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Build triggers use glob patterns (e.g., `src/**`, `models/**`) that are matched against the list of changed files in the commit. The trigger evaluates these patterns before any build step runs, so no compute resources are consumed if the patterns don't match. This is implemented via the Cloud Build API's `trigger` resource, which supports `includedFiles` and `ignoredFiles` fields for fine-grained control.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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 — 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: Configure Cloud Build trigger with included file globs — Cloud Build triggers support 'included file globs' and 'ignored file globs' to filter which file changes should invoke the trigger. By specifying glob patterns for the directories of interest, the trigger will only fire when commits modify files matching those patterns, avoiding unnecessary pipeline runs for unrelated changes.
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.
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Question Discussion
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