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Google Cloud · GCP-PCDO · Advanced

Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer — Practice Questions and Mock Exam

The Google Cloud Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer certification validates expertise in implementing processes and capabilities throughout the systems development lifecycle using Google-recommended methodologies and tools.

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120minPass-IT mock exam time limit

Checked against Google Cloud · September 2026 · Current exam version

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Implementing observability practices and troubleshooting issues1 / 5

You need to export Cloud Logging logs to BigQuery for long-term analysis and correlation with other business data. How should you configure the log export?

AlexFull explanation from Alex

To export Cloud Logging logs to BigQuery, create a log sink via the Log Router with a BigQuery dataset destination and an inclusion filter specifying which logs to route (docs.cloud.google.com/logging/docs/export/configure_export_v2). The Log Router evaluates each log entry against sink filters and streams matching entries to BigQuery in near real-time, enabling SQL-based analysis and correlation with business data. Why not the others? Scheduling a Cloud Function to copy logs adds unnecessary complexity, latency, and duplicates built-in Log Router functionality. There is no 'BigQuery integration' toggle in Logs Explorer—log export requires explicit sink configuration. A Dataflow pipeline is over-engineered for standard log export, which sinks handle natively. Exam tip: Log sinks support four destination types—BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, and Cloud Logging buckets—each suited for different retention and analysis patterns.

Sourcecloud.google.com

Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines, including continuous testing, for application, infrastructure, and machine learning workloads2 / 5

Your CI pipeline needs to build container images securely within a VPC perimeter to prevent data exfiltration. Which Cloud Build feature should you use?

AlexFull explanation from Alex

Cloud Build private pools run builds on dedicated worker instances that can be peered to your VPC and placed inside a VPC Service Controls perimeter, preventing data exfiltration during builds (docs.cloud.google.com/build/docs/private-pools/using-vpc-service-controls). Setting egressOption to NO_PUBLIC_EGRESS removes public internet access. Google docs state: 'VPC Service Controls protection is available only for builds run in private pools.' Why not the others? Workload Identity Federation authenticates external identities but does not provide network isolation during builds. IP allowlisting on triggers restricts who can trigger builds, not network egress during execution. Default Cloud Build workers run on Google-managed infrastructure outside your VPC—custom firewall rules cannot be applied. Exam tip: Private pools + VPC SC + NO_PUBLIC_EGRESS together provide the strongest build-time network security on Google Cloud.

Sourcecloud.google.com

Optimizing performance and cost5 / 5

You are running a batch data processing workload on Compute Engine that can tolerate interruptions and needs to complete within a 24-hour window. You want to minimize compute costs. Which VM type should you use?

AlexFull explanation from Alex

Spot VMs are excess Compute Engine capacity available at up to 91% discount compared to standard VM pricing. They are ideal for fault-tolerant, interruptible workloads like batch data processing because Compute Engine can preempt them at any time when resources are needed elsewhere. Unlike preemptible VMs (the legacy equivalent), Spot VMs have no 24-hour maximum runtime. The workload must handle interruptions gracefully, typically through checkpointing. Standard VMs with sustained use discounts still cost significantly more than Spot VMs. Sole-tenant nodes are for workloads requiring physical isolation, not cost optimization. Committed use discounts require 1-3 year commitments and are best for steady-state workloads, not batch processing. Exam tip: Spot VMs replace preemptible VMs and offer the same pricing model but without the 24-hour maximum lifetime limitation.

Sourcecloud.google.com

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Conversation preview · GCP-PCDO

Managing multiple GKE clusters

  1. You

    Do I need to manage every cluster in a separate project view?

  2. Alex · AI tutor

    A fleet groups clusters so you can manage them together from a fleet host project.

    Read the documentation ↗
  3. You

    Does grouping alone apply every policy?

  4. Alex · AI tutor

    No. Enable and configure the relevant fleet features, such as shared configuration management.

    Read the documentation ↗

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GCP-PCDO · Question excerpt

Managing multiple GKE clusters

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Your team manages multiple staging and production GKE clusters across several projects. You want to apply consistent configuration and policies to all clusters from a single control point. Which Google Cloud feature should you use?

Understand the correct answer.

GKE Fleet management

Use a fleet as the management grouping for multiple clusters.

Read the documentation ↗

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Question counts and mock exam settings from the current Pass-IT catalog.

Exam domains

What you practice for GCP-PCDO.

Exam topics, relevant practice and sources you can check.

Organizing cloud deliverySee the guide for weighting122 QuestionsPass-IT questions

Set up the organization, environments and tools for software delivery.

  • Design resource hierarchy, shared networking, cross-project observability, IAM policies and service accounts with data residency in mind.
  • Manage infrastructure changes through Terraform, GitOps, blueprints and scripts.
  • Choose a secure CI/CD toolchain using Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy, Artifact Registry and suitable third-party tools.
  • Manage staging, production and temporary environments, including configuration, GKE fleets, patching and upgrades.
  • Prepare secure Cloud Workstations or Cloud Shell environments with development tools and Gemini assistance.
Official certification objectives
Building delivery pipelinesSee the guide for weighting128 QuestionsPass-IT questions

Automate application, infrastructure and ML delivery with appropriate controls.

  • Design pipeline triggers, artifact storage, deployment targets and approval steps for cloud, hybrid or multicloud delivery.
  • Track deployments, select canary, blue/green or rolling strategies, measure results and resolve deployment failures.
  • Manage keys, certificates, configuration and secrets, distinguishing build-time from runtime injection.
  • Scan artifacts for vulnerabilities and apply Binary Authorization, SLSA supply-chain controls and environment-specific IAM policies.
Official certification objectives
Service reliability practicesSee the guide for weighting89 QuestionsPass-IT questions

Balance delivery speed with the reliability users need.

  • Define service indicators, objectives and agreements (SLIs, SLOs and SLAs), and use error budgets to weigh change against reliability risk.
  • Manage services from planning to retirement, with capacity, quotas, reservations and autoscaling suited to demand.
  • Reduce incident impact by draining or redirecting traffic, adding capacity or rolling back changes.
Official certification objectives
Observability and diagnosisSee the guide for weighting137 QuestionsPass-IT questions

Collect useful telemetry and use it to investigate failures.

  • Instrument logs, metrics and synthetic checks with tools such as Ops Agent, OpenTelemetry and Managed Service for Prometheus, and create custom metrics, including log-based metrics.
  • Query, route and retain logs while controlling costs and redacting sensitive data.
  • Build dashboards and alert policies from metrics and service objectives, and connect alerts to response tools.
  • Analyze distributed traces and correlate spans with structured logs using trace IDs.
  • Investigate infrastructure, pipeline, application and observability problems, including performance and latency, with diagnostic and Gemini assistance.
Official certification objectives
Performance and cost controlSee the guide for weighting61 QuestionsPass-IT questions

Use workload measurements to guide resource and spending decisions.

  • Collect application performance data and interpret Active Assist insights and recommendations.
  • Compare Spot VMs, discounts and network tiers as part of infrastructure cost planning.
  • Apply FinOps practices to right-size workloads and observability spending across GKE, Cloud Run and Compute Engine.
Official certification objectives
Question formats you can practice
Multiple Choice
Select one answer.
Multiple Response
Select multiple applicable answers.

These are practice formats in Pass-IT. See the Official certification objectives for the official exam requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Your preparation

How much study time should I plan for GCP-PCDO?

For planning, Pass-IT estimates roughly 70–180 hours. Relevant experience may put you toward the lower end; starting from scratch may put you toward the higher end. Your needs may fall outside this range. This is not a time requirement from Google Cloud or a promise that you will be exam-ready within that time.

What background does the Cloud DevOps Engineer exam expect?

Three or more years of industry experience with at least one year running production systems on Google Cloud, as a recommendation rather than a requirement. The catalog budget is 120 hours. The site reliability engineering section in particular assumes you have carried a pager, because it asks about trade-offs rather than definitions.

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What language are Pass-IT questions in?

Questions in the app are currently in English. Translations of the sample questions on this page apply only to this preview. Check with Google Cloud for the languages available for the official exam.

How long does my GCP-PCDO access last?

Access covers this certification for 12 months. You pay once, with no automatic renewal.

When does the money-back guarantee apply?

The guarantee refunds the Pass-IT purchase price for this certification. You need eligible paid access and a Readiness Score of at least 80% from your practice results when you take the exam. This score can only reach 80% after at least 50 answered questions and is not a validated probability of passing. Take the exam during your access period and submit official proof of failing within 14 days. Guarantee terms

About the GCP-PCDO exam

Where can I take the GCP-PCDO exam?

Online proctored or at an authorized Pearson VUE testing center.

How long is Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer valid?

Two years, and recertification means passing the then-current version of the exam. Google Cloud offers no credit-based alternative for this certification.

What is the retake policy for the Cloud DevOps Engineer exam?

Fourteen days after the first failed attempt, 60 days after the second and 365 days after the third. That third gap is long enough that the exam is worth taking seriously on the second attempt rather than the first.

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Money back if you fail with at least 80% Readiness, for eligible purchases under the guarantee terms.

Guarantee terms

The guarantee refunds the Pass-IT purchase price for this certification. You need eligible paid access and a Readiness Score of at least 80% from your practice results when you take the exam. This score can only reach 80% after at least 50 answered questions and is not a validated probability of passing. Take the exam during your access period and submit official proof of failing within 14 days.

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